The Visitors
by Marista
Summary: STORY COMPLETE - This story takes place at the academy and gives yet another version of how Spock and Uhura ended up togther. People often have passions for one another, but sometimes need outside influences to get them together - enter The Visitor
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Thank you for chosing to read my story. This is my first time posting a multi-chapter story over a period of time. The story is roughly 95% complete, so you won't have to worry about the author quitting or getting bored before it's over.**

**Disclaimer: Star Trek is not owned by me, but I am adding my little piece to the Trek Universe with my additional characters. I hope you enjoy it.**

Day 1 - Monday

Cadet Uhura woke with more energy than normal this morning. It was going to be a great day. Being a student at the academy was a rough job, and being an ambitious one with goals was even worse. To get her top choice of assignment when she graduated she would not only have to be top of her class, but also prove her ability to be a team player. This meant not only being part of at least one extracurricular club, she had to show she was a go-getter by taking on additional assignments, like her job as a teacher's assistant.

She looked at the stack of PADDs with her assignments for the next week, the three ongoing research projects that were due by the end of the semester, and the papers she had to grade for the professor she aided; Commander Spock, or 'Senior Hottie' as her room mate sometimes called him. As she got ready she decided she would finish grading the papers while she had breakfast. There would be no time today as her official office hours were cancelled. And for the next week she was excused from all classes and all other assignments until the Vulcan representatives left.

She smiled at herself in the mirror; she and Spock would be working on the grand-daddy of all communications projects starting this afternoon. Five representatives from the Vulcan Science Academy would arrive today and she would be the cadet to assist Commander Spock in working with them. Just because she was Commander Spock's assistant didn't guarantee her this spot. Six of her rivals also submitted applications to work on this project, and after a brief test in Vulcan translation and a simulation involving interspecies cooperation she was chosen by the chair of the department, Admiral Tapping.

When she was called into Admiral Tapping's office and given the news she felt overwhelmed and was modestly pleased with herself. The admiral said she was gifted and would be a true asset to Starfleet if she kept up her current momentum. Those thoughts were mirrored in the eyes of the other professors in the office, and when she looked at Spock she could swear she saw pride in his eyes. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she would like to believe she saw it. She remembered the look she got from Cadet Saunders as she walked down the hall.

She took a deep breath as she finished packing her bag, turned to say good-bye to her sweet, but under achieving room mate who was still in bed and she went out to seize the day.

Uhura stood in the office she shared with Commander Spock bouncing on the balls of her feet and beaming with excitement.

"Cadet Uhura, I understand your excitement over this assignment, but I don't think our guests will appreciate your… exuberance." His voice was stern, but she could swear she saw a glimmer of amusement in his eyes and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. She convinced herself that he was smiling at her in his own way every time he did that. She knew that she had imagined a lot of emotions coming from him, sometimes she could swear she saw affection. But he was a Vulcan and that wasn't possible.

"I know Commander, but I'm just so excited. You know me so well, so I thought I'd allow it out here in your office. Burn off some of this energy before I have to be super solemn to meet with our Vulcan counterparts." She gave him a big smile unable to hold it in anymore and jumped up and down a few times. She let out a deep breath and turned to see the corners of his mouth were raised even higher. "Ok, I'm ready now."

"Are you sure Cadet? We still have six minutes and twelve seconds before the meeting begins if you feel the need to jump up and down a few more times."

She chuckled "I'm sorry Commander, but I don't have to tell you what this opportunity means. Re-examining the translation sequences in four areas of science so the Vulcan High Command and Starfleet can communicate more effectively and with greater accuracy… there are people who work in communications for decades and won't work on something this significant."

"Well, you have earned it. Most people in communications barely know standard Vulcan much less several dialects. You have worked hard and I can not think of anyone else in the academy that would be better suited."

She looked up into his eyes, speechless and moved by his words of high praise. They were a rare gift that she would treasure. "Thank you so much Commander. You have no idea what it means to me to hear you say that." She smiled up at him again as her heart began to pound in joy. She stomped her feet a couple of times then stopped. "Don't worry, I've got it out of my system. I'm ready to go."

Upon their arrival she gave a cursory glance around the conference room and saw that each seat was set with a communications array, water and juice had been set on the table. PADDs were also waiting for them and a beautiful centerpiece of flowers were set in the middle of the table. Starfleet Academy had given them their best and she was honored to be included. They were waiting in the conference room when the five VSA representatives arrived escorted by Admiral Tapping. He quickly announced them and promptly left so they could introduce themselves to each other and get started.

Cadet Uhura, like most of the people at the academy had never met another Vulcan besides Spock. She expected that she would be able to easily interact with them based upon her relationship with Spock. Most people didn't like him, didn't understand him. They thought he was cold, heartless and kind of mean. But she knew better, she could see it in his eyes. Working with these other Vulcans should be about the same.

Although she was still bubbling with excitement within, she focused on pushing those feelings way down. She wasn't Vulcan, but she needed to appear as stoic and clinical as possible so they would respect her. Although an assignment like this was a big career booster, she knew that if she screwed it up, it would end her career before it started. They filed in one by one almost as if they were soldiers in the military rather than an academic convoy.

She instinctively stood up straighter upon seeing them and the nervous energy she had been trying to suppress dissipated into pure nervousness as she looked into their eyes. She swallowed hard as a wave of uncertainty spread through her. She looked at the group of three men and two women, who had eyes that were completely void and unreadable. This was not something she had expected. The first of their group was a stately looking woman who was just beginning to gray. She gave the Vulcan greeting which she and Spock answered. She proceeded to introduce herself and her team.

"I am T'Lori, leader of this team. To my left is my bondmate Sulak. Although his expertise is in matters of the mind, he is also an expert in all Vulcan dialects, even the undocumented slang sometimes utilized by our youth." Uhura looked at the oldest of the males who seemed to carry an air just as regal as his wife.

"This is Professor T'Maii", the younger woman nodded her head. Uhura swallowed as she took a good look at the woman. While T'Lori was amazingly beautiful, she had a bond mate, but when she looked at T'Maii, it almost took her breath away. Her skin was so smooth and so beautiful, golden bronze in color. Her high cheekbones and that long thick dark hair adorned so beautifully. She wondered what Spock thought of her. Would Spock be interested in her? The thought made her stomach turn. She swallowed hard as she nodded her head in acknowledgement.

Then there were the two current students, Spivik and Sorrel. It was interesting to her how the Vulcan's were so similar in appearance and yet so different. She wondered if every male on the planet had the exact same haircut? They actually looked to be older than Spock, not much older, but older still. They nodded to her and to Spock as did the others. She wondered why they were still students considering Spock had already served aboard a space ship and had been teaching for almost 3 years. Spivik she actually found attractive, but Sorrel, although his features were just as Vulcan as the others he looked odd to her somehow. She wondered if he was considered ugly for a Vulcan. Uhura nodded her head to her fellow students and thought she saw Spock flinch slightly when Sorrel's name was mentioned, but it was so slight she must have imagined it.

Spock in turn introduced himself and her. Although she had studied what there was of Vulcan customs, the information was sketchy and she wondered if there would be any nuances that the books had failed to mention. Spock certainly wasn't any help as he said there were no nuances to be aware of. And to her chagrin he was right, there was no chatting, no cordialities beyond the introductions. They sat down and went right to work. She was still excited, but without any banter or extraneous discussions it was going to be a very long and tedious week.

Uhura noticed that when she made comments or suggestions she felt as though they were not well received, almost ignored. The Vulcans were never excited by the discoveries or challenges they overcame and didn't offer the normal affirmations that humans would give. But when any Vulcan in the room made a comment it seemed to be considered quicker. Anything she said was followed by a longer stretch of silence and her suggestions were met with a greater degree of scrutiny.

At first she thought perhaps she was just being sensitive, but she decided to take a Vulcan approach to her concerns. She actually started to measure it for an un-bias comparison. Vulcans were responded to within five seconds and she was responded to in twenty seconds or more. All inquiries were addressed directly to Spock; she almost felt like she wasn't in the room. A small voice of doubt surfaced in her mind that perhaps her suggestions were not good enough, but when Spivik suggested something similar to what she had said not more than fifteen minutes earlier it was received with prompt acceptance. She gnashed her teeth.

One of her fellow cadets had mentioned that Vulcans thought humans were inferior because of their emotions, but she didn't believe it until now. She was looking forward to the lunch break, but T'Lori thought it was illogical to take a break just for eating when there was so much work to be done. The cafeteria staff brought in trays assorted with fruits, vegetables and grains that were agreeable to the Vulcan diet. While none of these items were objectionable to her she knew she would be heading to the cafeteria to get a cheeseburger when they were done for the day.

She observed how the Vulcans ate while they worked. In the past she had noticed how Spock was so particular and neat with his food. She thought it was a personal quirk, but now she realized it was cultural. They didn't handle any of their food with their hands, even the carrot sticks. She also noticed how Sorrell glanced her way every time she picked something up with her hands to put in her mouth. They all looked at her the first time she did it, with the exception of Spock of course. She wondered if they considered it insulting to eat with one's hands. By this point she didn't care, she was human and there was no way she was going to sit there a cut her bread into little bite site pieces so she could eat them with a fork.

She picked up another carrot stick with her hands and glared at Sorrell. True to form he looked her way as she was about to put it in her mouth. When he saw she was staring at him, he looked away back to his station. But she still noticed him watching her out of the corner of his eyes.

The cafeteria staff had brought them food, but didn't bring additional water. Sorrel addressed her directly for the first time

"Cadet, additional beverages are required" he said as he pushed the water pitcher in her direction.

Part of her wanted to grab the picture walk over there and hit him over the head with it, but she was the junior person in the room from the host planet. She should have expected that any grunt work would be passed along to her. She went to reach for the pitcher, but was halted when saw Spock raise his hand for her to stop.

"Cadet Uhura's time is best spent here helping us work through the algorithms, I will have one of the department aids come clean the room and refresh the beverages. In addition Student Sorrell it would not be acceptable for you to assign duties to Cadet Uhura as she is not under your command and is your academic equal."

Everything stopped for a moment as Spock's comment drew everyone's attention. Sorrell's eyes narrowed slightly, but he said nothing as he turned his head and resumed his calculations. The team resumed its normal activity as Spock summoned for a department aid. It took all of Uhura's strength not to smile in some measure of satisfaction. Especially when she noted Spock's clipped tone. She wasn't sure, but she wondered if Spock had given him the Vulcan version of an insult.

Cadet Saunders entered the room looking glum as she grabbed the water pitchers for refilling. On her way out she grabbed all the empty trays and plates. She gave Uhura a dirty look on her way out. Uhura thought to herself _'if you only knew'_.

When T'Lori finally ended their session for the day Uhura never believed she longed for the end of a day so much. She began to pack up her belongings like the other Vulcans, but she took the longest time possible so she could confer with Spock. Spock summoned Cadet Saunders again so she could escort the Vulcans to their guest rooms. Once the VSA delegation was on their way Spock turned to leave.

"Commander, can we speak for a few minutes?"

"Unfortunately not Cadet. I must go to Admiral Tapping's office now to debrief on the project."

"Oh" she said dejectedly.

"If you are amenable, we can meet tomorrow morning before we are due to begin the project?"

"For breakfast?"

"I am not opposed to the idea. We can meet in front of the general cafeteria at 0700 hours. Will that be sufficient time for the discussion?"

"Yes it will. See you in the morning Commander." He nodded then continued to pack his things.

Uhura was mentally and emotionally exhausted when she entered her room that night, but she still had class work to review. She may have been excused from class, but she still had to learn the material. Another six days of this and she would need a vacation to recover. Who knew that being around non-emotional beings could be so emotionally draining.

**A/N: Thank you for reading the first chapter. The 2nd chapter will be up in a few days. Your comments and review are welcome.**


	2. Chapter 2

Day 2 - Tuesday

As Uhura prepared for the day she couldn't help but smile. She wasn't looking forward to spending another day locked in that conference room with those snotty Vulcans; but it seemed an Ok sacrifice since she would start her day by having breakfast with Spock.

At 0657 hours she was turning the corner to reach the main cafeteria and just as she expected, Senior Hottie was already there waiting for her. If only this were a real date. 'Focus Nyota' she said to herself as she neared Spock's location. Once they sat down they immediately began to discuss the first day and the progress that had been made in the project.

"How do you think things went, Commander?"

"We produced a sound baseline for the translations in Inter Species Biology, Astral Physics, Warp Mechanics and Micro chemistry. Although according to the schedule we should have been completed with all the basic mapping yesterday. It would be logical of Professor T'Lori to increase the pace by which we work today to make up for the shortfall. But I know that you will be able to keep up with the challenge."

"Thank you Commander" she had to take a deep breath to make sure she didn't start blushing over his compliment. "I was just wondering about some of the interpersonal dynamics of yesterday. For the most part everyone seems professional and very efficient. But it seems like…" her voice trailed off. As she was about to speak the words they got caught in her throat. What if he didn't see things her way? He was Vulcan after all. She decided not to speak about how they seemed to treat her as inferior.

"You were going to state a conclusion Cadet?"

"It's nothing. I appreciate your thoughts. I just hope that I can continue to perform to your satisfaction."

"I am certain you will Cadet. In exactly three minutes it will be 0800 hours, we need to start on our way to the linguistics conference room."

Spock and Uhura were waiting in the conference room just like before. This time as their Vulcan counterparts entered, they all nodded in acknowledgement of them both, but she noted that they only looked at Spock. Inwardly she sighed. She also noted that there was no formal greeting this time. They got right to work at a brisk pace just as Spock had predicted; one that would have most people's heads spinning.

Within an hour they completed laying the groundwork left over from yesterday and started on the work that was scheduled for that day. By lunch time they had caught up, but they still worked straight through. By her estimation they would be ahead of schedule by 1400 hours. But it would be redundant to mention that in a room full of Vulcans. She knew that their internal chronometers had already told them that fact to the second.

Uhura really needed a break, but she wanted to make sure she did her part to keep the project on schedule. Aside from her bathroom breaks and eating while she worked she remained hunched over PADDs and texts and terminal. She slowed her work a bit so she could stretch her back and felt her neck cramp. She almost groaned, but fortunately she was able to bite it back. However her jerked motion did not escape the attention of Spock.

"Are you alright Cadet?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. I'm just not used to staying in one position for so long. My neck is starting to cramp."

"If I may…" he motioned to her back.

She wasn't sure what he was asking, but she nodded anyway. At her ascent he rose swiftly and began to massage her shoulders and work his way into her stiff neck. From the moment he put his hands on her that was all she could focus on. She didn't notice the five sets of Vulcan eyes that looked upon the interaction. After a few moments everyone resumed their work except for Sorrell who continued to watch. When Spock reached the center of her neck where she felt the pinch the air left her lungs in spite of her best efforts. Spock said nothing, but focused in that area and within moments the pain turned to pleasure. She audibly sighed which drew everyone's attention again. When he finished she finally opened her eyes.

She had no idea everyone was looking at her. She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry everyone."

Spock quickly replied before anyone could chastise either of them "Cadet Uhura, your continued health is optimal to completion of this project in a timely manner. I'm sure that Professor T'Lori will have no issues if you get up from your station hourly to walk and stretch your muscles."

T'Lori's eyes looked back to Uhura. "I understand the frailness of your human frame. Please feel free to take whatever breaks are necessary to ensure your continued full participation."

Uhura's lips pursed slightly as she bit back her response. Whether T'Lori meant to insult her or not, it would not be appropriate make snippy remarks to visiting delegates. She simply replied "Acknowledged."

An hour later and roughly every hour thereafter Uhura got up and walked around the room, walked the hall or went to the bathroom.

By 1700 hours they were falling behind again. So much had been done overall in the field of science, that it slowed down their progress significantly. Sorrell suggested an approach that he believed would help to keep them on track. He suggested a mass translation of certain root words that he believed to be universal in federal standard. T'Maii and Sulak were against the idea while the others were still considering the best way to proceed. Uhura was the only person in the room who knew not just federation standard, but several of the supporting languages including several Earth languages, Andorian and Terellian to name a few.

Sorrell's hypothesis was correct, but she stopped giving her inputs when she realized they weren't being well received. But this could save them so many hours, hours that she wanted back in her schedule. She decided to put herself on the line again. This time she made her suggestion in Vulcan. She explained that Sorrell was right in his conclusion based upon her extensive knowledge of root words and conjunctions in federation standard. Then she supported her argument and validated her expertise in the matter by quickly going through the exercise in four Vulcan dialects, federation standard and Andorian. When she was done the room was silent and all eyes were focused on her, T'Lori nodded her head in agreement. She saw all the other Vulcans begin to nod their heads in acknowledgement.

Whatever satisfaction she felt was overshadowed as Sorrell chimed in with a left-handed compliment "You speak quite logically for a human woman."

Uhura didn't react, but her eyes narrowed slightly. "I see. And how many human women have you interacted with?"

"You are the fifth."

"I see. So based upon the fact that you've only spoken with five human women how can you make a statement about how logical or illogical **all** human women are?"

"Well, while I have not had much first hand knowledge, it is accepted that human women are illogical."

"So do you normally make conclusions without any scientific basis and without any first hand knowledge?"

There was a subtle shift in Sorrell's jaw, but otherwise his face was impassive. "I stand corrected Cadet Uhura. Again your logic is sound."

She nodded her head in acknowledgement. It was the first time he had addressed her by name, and not just as "Cadet". Although there was no discernable difference in the Vulcan's behavior towards her, she felt a subtle shift. They weren't just being tolerant, now she had their respect. Their faces were still impassive, but she noted that she was now included more in the discussions. They looked her in the eyes.

She looked over at Spock and she could see the pride and satisfaction in his eyes. When she looked at the other Vulcans she tried to find a simile of the same thing. There was a slight change in total facial expression, but the average human would not be able to track them. Her skills in communication weren't just with what she could hear, but she was also an expert in reading body language, facial expressions, etc.

At last their session was done for the night, but there was no relief. Admiral Tapping and the chair of the science department had arranged for a small informal sit down dinner for the entire team this evening. There was no way she could back out.

She was glad to be out of that conference room and in the officer's dining hall, but all of her preparations had been around the project and working with the Vulcans. She spent time learning the finer nuances of their language in every dialect, but she did not do much research in terms of social settings. Uhura felt more self conscious than before, but at least she would not be the only human in the room. Admiral Tapping was present as well as her rival Cadet Saunders and three other top students from the linguistics department.

She expected the meal to pass in relative silence as the working sessions, but to her surprise she was privy to the Vulcan equivalent of small talk. She learned that Sorrell went to school with Spock. Although Sorrell was older, he was still in the role of a student; whereas Spock had been teaching for about three years already not to mention the four years he had spent on a space ship. Her mind went back to Spock's reaction when Sorrell was introduced, she thought she saw him flinch and realized maybe it wasn't her imagination.

When the meal was complete Admiral Tapping ushered everyone over to the faculty lounge area where there were sofas and comfy chairs. A station with a small assortment of liquors and fresh fruit had been set up. Uhura passed by the table thinking how much she would love a shot of Jack, but that would have to wait. She could not afford even the whisper of a hangover with the pace of the project.

She looked around the room and saw Spock taking something out of a case. She didn't even notice that he had brought it in with him. She watched as he pulled out something that looked like a cross between a harp and a guitar.

"As is our custom on Vulcan I will make an offering to our esteemed guests of my talent. I will offer selections from the lyre."

Uhura watched as all the Vulcans seem to bow their heads at the same time. She wasn't sure if this was gratitude, or just an acknowledgement. She moved in closer to get a good spot and was near Spivik and Sorrell. She saw Sorrell lean in and heard part of a low whisper "He's smart, but that Viltah can never truly master such a delicate instrument."

She didn't know what a Viltah was, but she could tell this was not a compliment. Spivik merely shrugged "We shall hear what we hear."

She casually and quietly moved away and sat on the arm of the sofa. She sat pondering what she heard. Spivik did not malign Spock, but he did not defend him either. Did all the other Vulcans think badly of Spock? And if they did, why?

All negative thoughts left her mind as he pulled the first string. It was as if the air hummed with the most beautiful sound she had ever heard. She sat there as if a trance the entire time he was playing. The entire room was still as Spock played.

She glanced in Sorrell's direction looking to get satisfaction that he was embarrassed or upset that Spock's playing was exceptional. But to her chagrin his face was impassive, the perfect Vulcan mask.

After Spock's third selection he turned to put the lyre away. Uhura was lost in her own world as she watched Spock putting his instrument away. She never noticed the mischevious smile that crossed Cadet Saunders face.

"It would be great if one of the cadets could make an offering as well. If we had known we could have brought our instruments. Although… Cadet Uhura, maybe you could sing something on our behalf?"

Admiral Tapping turned to her "Why yes, you're part of the Chorale aren't you?"

She was left sitting there with wide eyes and a stunned look on her face. "I… I am… but I don't have anything prepared. I don't think…"

Saunders cut her off "It doesn't have to be anything special. Even 'Happy Birthday' would do."

Uhura gave her a wry smile. There was no way she was going to embarrass herself by singing the birthday song.

Spock chimed in "I could play something and you could sing along with the lyre."

She looked over at Spock and gave him a smile of somewhat relieved gratitude. "But I don't know what songs you know."

He picked up the lyre and began to play and her eyes perked up for a second as she listened intently. She recognized the tune, although barely. She had forgotten that listening Vulcan music had been one of her assignments in Vulcan phonology class. She had forgotten most of the words, but she remembered the first couple of lines of the chorus. She sang the words she knew in Vulcan, then Federation Standard. When it moved onto the next stanza she hummed and ad-libbed with wordless vocal notes.

The effect of her voice and the lyre were quite beautiful. Saunders smirk turned into a barely concealed sneer. She thought finally there would be something Ms. Perfect would fail at. As the song continued on Uhura became lost in the sound of the lyre. Involuntarily her body began to sway in a way Spock almost found hypnotic. He watched her as she sang, and he enjoyed it.

A few moments passed before he realized he was physically smiling as he watched her. He immediately pursed his lips and then moved them into their neutral state. Finding enjoyment was one thing, but a true smile? He had not made that type of emotional slip since he was in the early years of school. The humans wouldn't care much, but he sincerely hoped that no one from the VSA saw him. As he glanced around the room all eyes appeared to be either on her, or looking inward as the music involuntarily took them somewhere else. For this he was grateful.

When the song ended all of the Vulans bowed their heads to her. Sulak spoke on behalf of the group "You have greatly honored us with your song Cadet Uhura."

"Nemaiyo" (Thank you) she responded.

At the end of the day she lay in bed trying to absorb everything from the day and prepare herself for tomorrow. One question was left on her mind… why could see read Commander Spock so much more easily than the other Vulcans? She erroneously came to the conclusion that it was the amount of time that she had spent around him.

Spock got very little sleep that night. He didn't understand what happened earlier today. How could Cadet Uhura evoke that level of emotional response from him? He spent the next several hours in intense meditation to ensure that he would not experience another unbidden emotional display.

6


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for reviews, I really appreciate them. And thank you for sticking with the story. This is the last of what I consider to be the "setup" chapters. **

**For chapter two there were a number of comments about the lounge scene were Spock smiled at Nyota. I wish I could take credit for this being my idea, but it is based upon the Original Series episode "Charlie X". **

Day 3 - Wednesday

Spock and Uhura agreed to keep meeting for breakfast until the project was over. Uhura was waiting outside of the cafeteria for Spock. She was starting to get concerned; it was 0715 hours and yet Spock wasn't here. Everyone was allowed to be late, but she had never known Spock to be late. And Vulcans had a reputation for being on time. She found herself beginning to wonder if he were Ok. She decided she would wait until 0730 hours and then she would call security.

To her relief Spock came walking up briskly at 0725. "My apologies Cadet."

"No need to worry Commander. Everyone oversleeps from time to time."

"Your conclusion while viable is mistaken. I did not oversleep. I received an unexpected transmission that lasted longer than I would have expected." She noted the flustered look in his eye.

"I see. I hope everything is Ok."

"I appreciate your concern, but it is not necessary. I have learned that a relative of mine is coming to town today and she is expecting to spend some time with me while she is in the area."

"Wow, so many visitors from Vulcan at one time. What brings her to Earth?"

"Actually she is from my Mother's side of the family and she lives here on Earth. She is currently living on an island called New Zealand to be exact."

"I don't understand. Why would her being from your Mother's side have a bearing on her living here on Earth?"

"My Mother is human, so most of her family still resides here on Earth."

"Your half human, half Vulcan?" she said in astonishment as she looked at him in wonder. She saw a change in his eyes, and she realized she was probably making him feel uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make it sound so strange, but I just had no idea."

"It is alright, Cadet. I am not offended." She smiled in relief.

As they sat down with their food he said nothing more about his family. "Cadet Uhura, I must mention to you my satisfaction with the way you presented yourself around the VSA delegates yesterday. I am certain it did not escape your notice that they did not have the highest regard for you, however after only two days you had the attention and respect of all present."

She smiled as she looked into his eyes. Again she saw the pride, she saw the camaraderie and what she thought might be a certain amount of affection. She knew Commander Spock respected her and liked her work, but she was nothing more to him than a star pupil. She admitted to herself that she had a hard crush on him – really hard, but she knew it wouldn't amount to anything. So she'd work with him and admire him, but she knew there would never be anything between them.

The rest of their shortened breakfast consisted of Uhura trying to focus on the project, but her mind was swimming with this new revelation. Spock didn't seem human at all. _**'What kind of woman was his mother? What kind of Vulcan was his father that he would marry a human?'**_

As they took the short walk to the conference rooms her view of what was possible had opened up. If he had a human mother could he really think so badly of human women? Would his relationship with his mother make him more open to having a relationship with a human woman, or would he desire a Vulcan woman to reinforce his Vulcan heritage?

This time instead of going straight to the conference room with Spock, Uhura told him she had to visit the lavatory. She spent a few moments taking a few deep breaths and clearing her mind. The pace of the project was almost more than she could keep up with… almost! She needed to have her mind clear. A splash of cold water on her cheeks and she was ready to go.

She barely made it into the room before the VSA delegates arrived. Today she saw that when they entered they looked at her as well as Spock when they bowed. Spock was right; she did have their respect now. She wanted to turn to Spock, smile at him or something to acknowledge their earlier conversation. Being overwhelmed and unable to show it, she touched his hand. She didn't think about it, she just did it.

It was a slight gesture that no one noticed and it lasted less than a second. But Spock stiffened at the contact and she was taken aback by the slight electricity she felt. She had never touched his skin before; she knew better, touch telepaths didn't want to be touched. Her elation turned to concern, she would have to apologize to him later. She casually rubbed her hands together, her hand still tingled from where she touched Spock. And she had to admit it felt wonderful, and if he wasn't too upset with her she would definitely 'accidentally' touch him again. If she had been facing him she might have seen the delight in his eyes.

The pace was still hard, but Uhura had to admit that she was now enjoying herself. Being an accepted member of the team who could offer suggestions and have them heard made the project interesting. This is what she signed up for!

Uhura went into the hall today to take her hourly stretch break. She put her hands on her hips and leaned back, then she leaned forward at the waist. As she moved her head to stand up she saw a pair of boots right in front of her. She stood up quickly.

"Cadet Uhura."

"Yes, Student Sorrell, how may I help you?"

"I was on my way to the lavatory and noticed you there. Is your neck still an issue? Because I would be willing to apply pressure to your neck and back if it would help."

She stood looking at him for a moment, unsure if she'd just lost consciousness or entered an alternate dimension.

"You're offering me a back rub?"

"Yes. If it would be helpful to you."

"No thank you. My back is feeling fine. As long as I move around periodically there are no issues."

"Please let me know if you require assistance in the future."

She nodded her head and headed back for the conference room. Something about that exchange wasn't right. And the way Sorrell kept staring at her, she wondered what it meant.

As she worked with the team on the project she was efficient and mostly focused. She was preoccupied, but not with thinking of Spock per se. She was hyper aware of all the Vulcans in the room. She found herself examining every nuance even more closely than she did before. This time she was noting any discernable difference between the VSA Vulcans and Spock.

They were working at breakneck speed. They were supposed to finish the Inter Species Biology section by tomorrow. According to her estimations they have caught up and were actually running ahead of schedule, but no one mentioned it. T'Lori was in charge and they followed the pace that she set. Resetting algorithms and making programming adjustments for all the possible subtle nuances between Vulcan and Federation Standard and then again between Federation Standard and some of the subtle differences that had been introduced over the years.

They ended for the day, earlier than usual. They had come to a place where they had done all they could for that section. The only thing left was the reconciliation, and that should be done in one sitting. T'Lori called the project done for the evening. Uhura was so excited she practically ran off, without the apology to Spock and without her PADD.

Halfway back to her dorm she realized her error and turned back. When she approached the room she saw T'Lori and her bondmate Sulak in the hallway. She saw Sulak raise his hand with two fingers extended, then watched as T'Lori mirrored the gesture. They stood there like that for a couple of seconds, then T'Lori's fingers ran down the length of his. They nodded to each other and proceed to walk down the hall. Uhura was not familiar with this gesture, but intuitively she knew it to be something significant and loving between them. She made a mental note to look it up later.

After they walked past her location she walked into the conference room. Spock was in there alone; this was her opportunity.

"Cadet Uhura, I assume you have returned for your PADD." Spock pulled the PADD from the stack of his belongings.

"Yes, Sir. Thank you."

Spock nodded, then resumed what he was working on. "Commander, may I speak with you for a moment?"

"Proceed Cadet."

"I wanted to apologize for touching your hand this morning. I was so excited that the VSA delegation acknowledged me like an equal; and after our conversation this morning… I wanted to make sure you were aware of it. I hope that I didn't offend or hurt you."

"I was merely startled by your action. No one else in the room even noticed and there was no damage. I do share your appreciation for their acceptance of your skill and intelligence."

She nodded "Yes, it's made a huge difference. What are you working on?"

"Each day I must submit a progress report to Admiral Tapping. Normally this is something I would do after I reached my quarters, however since my relative is here it would be wise for me to complete the task before I engage her. She will expect my full attention for the rest of the day."

"I understand. Have a good night Commander."

"See you at breakfast Cadet."

That night as she lie in bed, her mind finally began to wind down enough to allow her to process everything that had happened that day, the past several days and the past two years that she knew Commander Spock. He's half human and it's not noticeable in any way to the naked eye of the careful observer. He was exactly like the other Vulcans except for one thing… his eyes. Yes he had the arched eyebrow, and the indifferent stare. But his eyes did reflect a slight level of emotion compared to other Vulcans.

The seeming disdain some had for him now made sense. And while she felt bad that they seemed to not be accepting of him, she also felt joy. She took a deep breath as she tried not to get her hopes up, but all those times she thought she saw love, or at least affection in his eyes… could it really be true?

The admiral's soiree with the VSA delegates was in a couple of days. Perhaps she could test her hypothesis there. She could use Gaila's help, but the key was getting her to help without revealing anything to her. She loved her room mate but Gaila was not the most discrete person. She had as much control over her mouth as she did over her sexual urges, which was almost none.

**A/N: Your constructive comments and reviews are welcome.**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks for sticking with the story. And thank you all for the wonderful comments. It really motivates me each time I read one. I decided to post early because I've got a busy day tomorrow and probably won't have time to post. It's a little long, but I hope you enjoy it.**

Day 4 - Thursday

At 0600 hours Uhura was woken up by an urgent message at her communications terminal. She rubbed her eyes wondering who would contact her so early in the morning. She saw it was Spock and in her shock and concern she didn't think about what she looked like. She immediately opened the channel.

Her appearance didn't strike her until she saw the surprised look in his eyes. Her hair was loose and wildly fell about her shoulders. She didn't wear standard issue sleep wear, she preferred to sleep in silk or other soft materials. The thin strap had fallen off of her shoulder and it was then that she realized a significant part of her left breast was exposed. She quickly pulled the strap back over her shoulder.

"Is everything alright Commander?"

Spock nodded. That vision of her was the single most beautiful sight he had ever seen in his life. He cataloged the moment for appreciation later. "I regret contracting you so early Cadet Uhura. My Aunt Abigail arrived yesterday afternoon, and I was wondering if I might solicit your assistance?"

"Sure Commander, what do you need?"

"She took ill shortly after she arrived, a twelve hour Rigalean flu she contracted; evidently from the undercooked Rigalean squid she ingested prior to our meeting. I have given her the proper medication as prescribed by the doctor; however she has an illogical aversion to medical facilities. She insists on convalescence in my quarters. I plan to check on her during our lunch break, but she will require assistance all morning.

"According to our schedule the section this morning will involve the reconciliation between only the Vulcan dialects for the Physics section. I know that you have already gained insight into the Vulcan language when this test was performed for the Inter Species Biology section. But I would ask if you could sacrifice this section to stay with my aunt until she is recovered? She should be well enough to stay on her own by the time we have our lunch break. I would completely understand if you declined."

"Commander, I would be happy to stay with her."

"I appreciate your willingness to help. I know logically you should be involved in the project during this time, but there is no other at the academy that I would trust with this task."

Uhura nodded, unable to verbally respond at his level of trust in her. She was choked up, but could hide it from him only if she remained silent. She cleared her throat.

"I will be at your quarters within the hour."

Upon entering Spock's quarters she was not surprised by what she saw. The place was immaculate and beyond neat just like his office, well except for the tiny part she shared with him. It wasn't messy, but you could tell it wasn't under his control. He quickly gave her an overview of anything his aunt might need and showed her where everything was in the kitchenette. Finally he ushered her into his bedroom and introduced her to the woman laying there. She was beautiful with short brown hair, big beautiful brown eyes and the sweetest smile.

"I'm so sorry he dragged you here Cadet Uhura. I really don't need any help."

Spock straightened up a bit. "As you require medications that must be refrigerated and are not steady on your feet I would have to disagree with your assessment."

She took in the beautiful young woman standing before her and noted the slight softening of Spock's eyes when he looked in her direction. "I bet you never thought of Vulcans as being over protective mother hens." She winked at Uhura, who gave her a twinkled smile in return. She looked at her stoic nephew "I love this girl Spock."

She turned back to the cadet "I think you and I are going to have a lovely time this morning. And I have my PADD of baby pictures. Someone around here didn't want to look at them, but you might find them of interest Cadet Uhura."

"Please, call me Nyota."

"And you can call me Abbey."

She turned to her nephew and recognized the concern pooling behind his eyes "Oh yeah. You're already regretting bringing her here. You should have listened to me when I said I didn't need help. Now go work on your project. Nyota and I are going to have some girl talk."

Spock looked at them both and slowly backed away. "Perhaps you should be resting Aunt Abigail."

She snorted in return "Away with you."

He nodded, "Very well, I will be back **promptly **at 1300 hours."

He could hear the two of them giggle as he walked away and he inwardly groaned. Maybe it was a bad idea.

Nyota was enamored with the feisty older woman. Everyone she knew besides herself was intimidated by Spock, even faculty members. She couldn't believe how this woman spoke to him; it made him seem just a little bit more human. No matter how brilliant or accomplished you are, your family could take you down a few notches.

"So pretty Nyota, do you really want to see those family photos, or were you just being polite?"

"Actually I would love to see them. I can't imagine him as a child. But before that I believe I need to give you an injection in five minutes. Let me grab that before we get started."

Abbey rolled her eyes "Now I see why he picked you for the job. Very well, I'll be waiting right here when you get back." They laughed to each other. Nyota removed her jacket and tossed it over the arm of Spock's couch, leaving her in her Starfleet issue tank top.

Once the injection was given and the nutrition as prescribed by the doctor was ingested, Abbey patted the spot next to her on the bed as she picked up her PADD.

"Sit here Nyota. Let me show you these photos. They're not in any particular order, and I haven't looked at them in years. Sarek used to bring Spock and my sister back to Earth at least once a year. Then there are a couple of photos from the two trips I took to Vulcan. Abbey tapped the screen of her PADD and up popped a photo of a little Vulcan boy in gray robes standing by a birthday cake with children around him at play.

"Oh my goodness, look at little Spock. He's just as serious as a little kid."

"This was here on Earth; I threw this party for his 5th birthday."

"Were these his friends?"

"No, they were children that lived in the area. He didn't know any of them, and I figured that once they were all in a room together with all the toys and food that he would join them. He pretty much stood there for the whole party and watched the other children. I had to beg that little bastard for an hour to get him to eat one bite of his birthday cake. He kept going on about how it wasn't logical to eat something without any nutritional value.

"Although I have no one to blame but myself. My sister said it was a bad idea, but I thought he should have a proper birthday party at least once in his life."

She clicked for the next photo and an image of a little Vulcan baby came up. Nyota giggled looking at the bright green cheeks, and the big smile on his face.

"This was my first trip to Vulcan. I came to see my sister's new baby. I thought he was the most adorable thing, and all you had to do was run a finger along his stomach and he would just start laughing and laughing. It was a delightful sound, but Sarek was not a happy camper. For someone who doesn't have emotions he did a very good job of sending a negative vibe through the room every time I made Spock laugh.

"As it turns out, Vulcans are born with muted emotions compared to human children. If they're wet or hungry they are vocal, and will cry out. But they don't really cry, or even laugh. But Spock laughed and the sound was delightful. My little Thumper."

"Thumper?" Nyota said incredulously.

"That's the nick name I gave him the first time I held him in my hands. When you touched his side you could feel his little heart pounding and it's not like a humans; his heart was beating so fast and so hard it reminded me of the ancient movie Bambi. It was an animation filled with talking mammals, and there was a little rabbit that thumped his foot against the ground a million times a minute. He used to laugh when I called him that too. But eventually it stopped. I still call him that on occasion when I want to tease him and his face still turns green in spite of himself."

Nyota smiled imagining the memory. "When did he stop laughing?"

"My sister Amanda began to notice a shift in his behavior after he turned two years old. She said the bigger he got, the more Vulcan he became. And as soon as he went to school, it was all over."

She moved to the next photo. "Ah, this is from my second and last trip to Vulcan. This is Spock at school and those are some of his school mates."

Nyota leaned in to see Spock standing alone and forward of a group of three boys. They appeared to be a couple of years older that Spock. Abbey made a slight grimace.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Every time I see this photo I always say I'm going to crop it, but then I always forget."

"What are you going to crop? The photo looks fine."

"I didn't know who those kids were. I thought they were friends, but it turned out they were bullies, teasing him and tormenting him every day."

"I didn't know Vulcan children did that, it seems so illogical."

"Well it turns out children are children, even if they are Vulcans. But they stopped not too long after this photo."

"Spock finally told a teacher or his parents?"

"No, you see this one in the middle, Spock beat the crap out of him."

"No way."

"Yep. Although Spock looks totally Vulcan to us, he inherited eyes that are more expressive than a Vulcan's from Amanda. So to the Vulcans, they see that he's different."

She thought about Sorrell's remarks about Spock "I understand. So what happened with his classmates?"

"I don't have all the details. Evidently this one shoved Spock and said something that was so offensive and over the top that Spock went after him. It was a strange situation all around because this lad's father was one of Sarek's servants."

"Servants?" She emphasized the "S" on the end. "How many does he have?"

"Loads. Housekeepers, cooks, secretaries, maids, maintenance men. When Spock was young he had a nanny and a nurse. This lad's father was a groundskeeper."

"I had no idea Spock's family was so well off."

"As you probably know Sarak is an ambassador. Some pieces of the land they own have been in their family for over 2,000 years."

Nyota's eyes went wide.

"It doesn't seem very smart to pick on your Father's bosses son. Was the father fired? And what did he say anyway?"

"The father remained in Sarek's employment because it would be illogical to take action against him because of a children's fight. As for what was said, Mandy asked, but both Spock and Sarek said it was a comment not worthy of being repeated."

"Wow. We'll I'm glad he won and the teasing stopped."

"Spock did more than win, although he did get a bruised lip out of it. But this kid… It took three teachers to pull Spock off of him. They thought he was weak because he was half human, but he beat that kid so badly he was out of school for the rest of the year."

"Are you serious?"

"Well, they only had two weeks left anyways. This little monster had a broken nose, and he needed facial reconstructive surgery. That type of procedure is more precise than a broken nose and requires lots of healing time, so he was done with school."

Nyota looked more closely at the photo. "What was his name?"

"I don't remember exactly. It sounded something like sorrow."

"Sorrell?" she whispered.

"What was that?" asked Abbey.

"The kid in this photo he kinda reminds me of one of the delegates here from the VSA. His face looks off, a little asymmetrical compared to the others. He can't be the same person, but his eyes, are really similar. His name is Sorrell."

"Sorrell. I think that was this boy's name, could it really be the same person?" Abbey looked away uncomfortably. "Well, it's all in the past. Let's go to the next photo."

Uhura nodded as they moved onto the next photo. Although there could be more than one person named Sorrell on Vulcan it all made sense. And it explained why Spock flinched when they were introduced.

The smile returned to Nyota's face as she saw a photo of a one year old Spock, smiling in the arms of his mother.

"Now there's a very interesting story behind this one…"

Back in the conference room, Spock for once struggled slightly to keep up with the pace of the project. T'Lori accepted his request for a true lunch break today and he was irritated that Sorrell seemed to have more than a passing interest in knowing why Cadet Uhura did not join them for the morning session. His mind kept going back to his Aunt and Cadet Uhura together. Would her opinion of him change after viewing the photos of his childhood?

He cared very much was she thought of him, although it was illogical. He was able to quell his unsettling feelings when he rationalized that what she thought of him was important because he was her superior officer. 1300 hours could not come fast enough.

Nyota was reclined back in the bed with Abbey. Any observer would have thought they were old friends instead of two women who had just met and barely knew each other. They were naturally comfortable with each other, something for which they were both glad.

"So Nyota, tell me about your relationship with Spock?"

"Oh, I'm his teaching assistant. I help him with his junior level classes, grade papers, answer questions from students, stuff like that."

"And?"

"Well, he was my Professor for Advanced Vulcan Phonology."

"And?"

"And, that's it. Currently we're working together on a big translation project. There's nothing else to tell."

"I can tell that you have feelings for him."

Nyota sat up quickly, looking at Abbey like a deer caught in the headlights. She opened her mouth to protest as she vehemently shook her head no.

"Don't deny it Nyota. If you do then you're lying to me… or you're lying to yourself."

She froze for a moment and looked into the eyes of the woman that she had felt so comfortable with, even now in her moment of discomfort. She pursed her lips as she uttered something she never thought she'd say. "I think I'm in love with him."

"You think?" said Abbey in a playfully teasing way.

Nyota exhaled. "I know I love him, but I try to push my feelings down because it's pointless."

"Why do you think that?"

"He's Vulcan, he doesn't love me back." She looked Abbey in the eye and responded sadly "He can't love me back."

"Remember when I showed you that photo of Spock's bullies?" Nyota nodded. "To the average human Spock looks like he's completely Vulcan. But his eyes are almost human, I don't mean the eye brows, or the shape, but the look in his eyes. My sister tells me that Vulcans do have emotions, stronger than the average human, but they are able to suppress them and hide them so they can follow logic. Because of his human genes the stronger emotions will reflect in Spock's eyes. It's not obvious to humans, but apparently he's like a screaming bill board to other Vulcans. I think this is one of the reasons why the other children picked on him.

"I said all that to say that I was only in a room together with you both for about two minutes. When Spock looked at you his eyes softened and I could see the affection he has for you. I honestly can't say whether it's love or not, but if it's not, it's pretty damn close."

Nyota sat there staring at the woman trying to absorb her words. "Having spent several days with the VSA Vulcans and Spock I knew that I could read Spock a lot easier. I only learned that his mother was human yesterday, so I had a hunch that that might be why I can read his eyes. Now you have confirmed it. It all makes sense now. But I can't believe that he could feel that way about me. It's not that I doubt you, but I can't get my hopes up and open myself to that type of… disappointment."

Abbey reached out and ran a loving hand through Nyota's ponytail as it hung over her shoulder. "I understand if you don't want to act on it, but don't cut yourself off to the possibility. You never know what may happen."

"Thanks Abbey."

A small alarm went off. Nyota looked at her schedule "You're due for another shot."

"If you insist."

"I do." Nyota returned a couple of moments later. "This one is accompanied by a mild sedative. You'll be asleep in 10 minutes, I'm afraid our girl talk is over."

"Too bad, I was enjoying it."

"So was I." Nyota injected both shots in Abbey's neck.

"Come back to your place on the bed Nyota. Indulge me until I fall asleep." Nyota smiled and sat down, reclining against the extra pillows as she had before. By the end of ten minutes both women were fast asleep.

At 1300 hours Spock entered his quarters. He was surprised not to see Cadet Uhura, perhaps she was in the bathroom. He could not fathom that she would leave his Aunt alone knowing that she still required care.

He went into the kitchenette to look in the stasis unit. The required hypos had been removed, so he could only assume they had been used, the prescribed food was missing plus a little extra, and the liquids in the container had decreased just as they were supposed to. He walked to his bedroom and to his surprise he saw both women fast asleep in his bed.

He was pleased that his Aunt's coloring was significantly better than when he left that morning. Just as the medical staff said, she would be through the worst of it in 24 hours. He turned his attention to Cadet Uhura. He had seen her in many states, but he had never seen her asleep. She was aesthetically pleasing to most men, himself included, but her look to him was almost ethereal. Her sleeping face was so at peace, no stress, no worry, just her absolute beauty. He wished he were laying down next to her rather than his Aunt so he could appreciate the view up close. He was reminded of earlier this morning when he saw her in her bed clothes, another sight to behold.

His finely tuned Vulcan ears heard a stirring, it was his aunt. She opened her eyes, looked at the cadet and smiled. Spock was pleased by the fact that they evidently got along well together in his absence. Aunt Abigail held her finger over mouth indicating that he should remain silent, then motioned for him to help her out of the bed.

She needed very little help and the two of them tip toed into the living room. Aunt Abigail sat on the couch.

"I'm feeling stronger every minute Spock. I'll be 100% better by tomorrow just as the doctor said. So tonight I'm sleeping on the couch and you will return to your bed."

Spock opened his mouth to protest.

"I insist. Your Mom will be so impressed with you for taking care of me so well. Thank you Thumper." She smiled because true to form Spock turned green in spite of the pursing of his lips and tightening around the eyes. "And thank you for brining Nyota here to look after me, she is a lovely girl."

"I apologize for her neglect. I will speak with her about this later."

"What neglect, she took great care of me."

"Then why is she asleep?"

Abigail shook her head at her nephew. "I asked her to lay down with me to keep me company. Based upon the week she's had it's no wonder that she's in this state. She's exhausted from the project you two have been working on. Each night when she comes back to her dorm room instead of resting she's been studying the scientific terms that might be used the next day. It's very important to her that you're not disappointed with her performance. And on top of that she may be excused from her classes, but she'll still be responsible for knowing the course material that's been taught. She's been reading the notes to make sure she won't fall behind when the project is over."

"I did not realize there were so many additional variables she had to stay on top of. I will be more mindful in the future."

She looked over the face of her nephew, the little boy who was too human to be Vulcan and too Vulcan to be human. There was a smart, intelligent, beautiful young woman only a few feet away asleep in his bed who was in love with him. She was absolutely perfect for him, but she doubted if he knew and wondered if he would ever find out. Abigail decided to tempt fate and repeat her conversation of earlier.

"What is your relationship to Nyota?"

"Cadet Uhura is a former student and my current teacher's aide."

"And?"

"There is nothing to add. That is the extent of our history."

"I can tell you have…" she suddenly broke off. If she mentioned feelings he would be insulted and he would never entertain the idea.

"Yes, Aunt Abigail?"

She pursed her lips. Cutesy wordplay would not work in this situation. She didn't want to betray the confidence of her new friend, but she had to say something.

"Have you considered Nyota as a love interest?"

Spock cocked his head "Love interest, I am not familiar with the term."

Abbey sighed. "Ok, just let me think." She said to herself. "What was it called… Hmmm… MATE! Have you considered her as a possible mate?"

Spock began to tint green again "I have not." Although this was a partial truth. He thought about it, but he was bonded to T'Pring.

"Why? Is it because she's not a Vulcan? Is she not smart or beautiful enough?"

"Cadet Uhura is highly intelligent and I consider her to aesthetically pleasing."

"Then why is she not a suitable mate?"

"She is more than suitable. I would be honored to have her as a mate as would the majority of the males on this campus."

"Ok, then why haven't you considered her?"

"I was bonded to T'Pring when I was seven years old."

Abbey frowned "You're still going through with that? I thought she didn't like you."

"Like or dislike are irrelevant. This is the arrangement our families made."

"As I understand it, this childhood bond is fairly superficial and can be broken."

"You are correct. If both parties agree, the bond can be undone."

"Well I know like and dislike are irrelevant, but is T'Pring really what you want? Why don't you at least consider Nyota."

"It is not my consideration that matters in this situation. Cadet Uhura has many male suitors, I am aware of this because the most timid will occasionally send flowers or gifts to her and the more aggressive actually try to engage her as she walks around campus. Someone with her vigor and zest would not consider a Vulcan as a suitable mate when she is surrounded by many interested and fully human males."

"I don't know how you came to that conclusion, but you're wrong. You should embrace whatever thoughts you've had about being with her. I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised by the results."

"You guarantee? Has she expressed thoughts to you that would lead you to this conclusion?"

She smiled mischievously and she didn't try to hide it because she knew the nuances would be lost on him "Let's just say a woman knows these things Spock. Trust me."

Spock was about to explain to her how illogical such a statement was, but Aunt Abigail's face suddenly changed as a wave of dizziness came over her. She leaned back heavily into the cushion.

"Please rest Aunt Abigail. Remember that your strength has not fully returned."

"I'm Ok. Why don't you make some more of that spiced tea I like."

"I will be right back."

Nyota sighed as she burrowed herself further into the pillow. So warm, so comfortable. Her eyes flashed open as she realized she wasn't in her own bed. She bolted up right and tried to piece things back together. She saw the empty space where Abbey had been. She could hear soft voices coming from the living room; Spock was back.

She rose and quickly went into the bathroom to collect herself. Her hair was a mess and she had slight pillow marks on her cheek. She was grateful that she didn't wear makeup except on special occasions; she would have been embarrassed if she had messed up Spock's pillow.

Her pristine signature ponytail was not looking too good. She pulled out her hair clip and tried to re do it. However without a brush it would never lay right. She eyed Spock's hair brush sitting on the shelf; it only made sense, no one's hair laid that flat. But it was a personal item. She couldn't use it without his permission and didn't want to put him in an uncomfortable position if he didn't wish to share it with her. If Vulcans were super particular about how their food was handled, she could only imagine how they would treat their personal items.

She ran her hands through her hair and let it cascade down her shoulders. Unlike her regular scheduled days there would be no combat simulations or risk of surprise drills, so she could leave it loose for one day.

She looked at herself in her cadet red tank top. She wished she had removed her jacket in the bedroom, but unfortunately she knew her jacket was lying across the arm of Spock's couch. He had to know she had fallen asleep, she hoped that he didn't think badly of her or think that she's was not trustworthy.

She entered the living room and saw Spock sitting with Abbey. "Hello. I'm very sorry about that Commander, it was unforgivable."

Spock took in the sight of Cadet Uhura in her tank top and her hair about her shoulders. It almost reminded him of when he saw her that morning; he liked how she looked with her hair this way. He took in the softness of her bare shoulders. Everything his Aunt said flashed in his mind. Could she actually hold affection for him? It seemed unlikely, but greatly desired.

"It is alright Cadet. I understand how taxing it has been for you to work on the project while keeping up with your regular responsibilities. My Aunt has greatly improved in the time she was under your care and received all of the medications and nutrients she required. I extend my gratitude to you for your service."

She nodded in response.

"When you are ready, we need to return to the project. We will begin the Astral Physics section this afternoon. I acknowledge that you have not eaten lunch, I will have something brought to you in the conference room."

Nyota put her jacket back on, "I'm ready."

Abbey smiled at the young woman "Nyota it was a pleasure spending my morning with you. I hope that we'll get to spend more time together before I leave."

"Me too" said Nyota as she smiled back at Abbey. The two women hugged.

The rest of the day went by in a daze for Nyota. She was flying on auto-pilot and she was grateful that she was so well versed in the material that it didn't show, or at least it didn't show to the VSA Vulcans. Was Sorrell really the groundskeeper's son? Did he and Spock really have a violent altercation as children? Did Spock really have feelings for her? Spock was a whole other story but he watched her more closely looking for a sign, any sign that his affections towards her would be returned.

By the time she returned to her room that night she had a plan formulated in her mind. One way or another she would find out if Abigail Grayson was right.

Abigail started to straighten up not long after the couple left to return to their project. She decided to change Spock's sheets, she removed all the linens and put them in the refresher with the exception of the pillow that Nyota had laid on. She set it aside and proceeded to put fresh sheets and blankets on the bed. She carefully smoothed out Nyota's pillow to make it took as uncrumpled as possible and laid it on top. Abigail smiled a mischievous smile that no one was there to appreciate. She lay on the couch to continue her convalescence.

That night when Spock came home they enjoyed a nice evening of talking and sharing the details of their lives since they had last spoken. Then they shared a quiet dinner in his quarters. After he retired to his room for the evening if he had looked back at his aunt he would have seen an expression like the cat that swallowed the canary on her face.

Spock began to remove his clothing and change into his bed clothes. He noted that there was a foreign scent in his room and it made perfect sense because his Aunt Abigail had been in his room. He sat on his bed and called the command for 'lights' as he reclined into sleep position. His eyes quickly shot open in surprise. He smelled Nyota. She had been asleep in his bed with his Aunt.

His mind had been calm and prepared for rest. Her scent in this place, he found involuntary reactions. His mind instantly centered around her. His photographic memory called up the images he had of her standing in his doorway with her hair free wearing that tank top. Her nearly bare shoulders looked so soft and warm. Then it shifted to the view of her standing in his view screen, freshly out of bed and wearing even less. One very soft looking shoulder was completely bare, the partially exposed swell of an even softer looking breast. He felt his body respond in unfamiliar ways… primal ways.

He removed the pillow and put it in the closet. The logical action would have been to put the pillow case in the refresher, but for no logical reason he could think of he wanted to keep that essence of her with him as long as the scent would last.

He took the extra spare pillow that Aunt Abigail didn't want and he put it on his bed. For the second night in a row he lay there for hours in a light meditation until his mind and body were relaxed enough to sleep. As he fell into sleep the last conscious thought on his mind was Nyota.

**A/N: Your comments and thoughts are welcome.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful comments; I appreciate each and every one of them! I want to give a special acknowledgement to LydiaMoon, (whom I cannot respond to privately) for pointing out the typos in the last chapter; these have now been corrected. Thanks Lydia!**

**Sorry this took so long to post. I decided to re-read for typos and got lost in the editing process. Each time I read it I added a few sentences here and there, which meant I had to proof it again (I was stuck in my own personal feedback loop). I think I've caught all the typos, but I refuse to read it again, so I don't know for certain.**

**I sincerely hope you all enjoy this chapter.**

Day 5 - Friday

Nyota woke bright and early. The Admiral's Soiree with the VSA Vulcans was tonight. There would be roughly 100 people in attendance and Spock would be one of them.

If she wore something that was a sure fire attention grabber, perhaps she could see if it had any effect on him. She wanted to believe Abbey's words so badly, but she would just die on the inside if she exposed her feelings and they weren't returned. She needed assurance.

She started going through her closet, pulling out outfit after outfit. They were decent looks, but nothing that would ensure it got Spock's attention, nothing that would stop a room. She looked over at Gaila and decided to attempt mission impossible.

She sat down on Gaila's bed and the Orion didn't stir. She placed her hand on her shoulder and gently shook her. Gaila started to moan in a way that sounded very sexual to Nyota. She recoiled, because that was not part of the plan. It made her think back to their first months together as room mates when Gaila decided they would get along better as room mates if they became lovers. Her pheromones affected women as well as men, but to a lesser degree. It took every bit of strength she had to resist the unwanted advances until Gaila finally got the message.

She stood up and thought about getting some cold water to throw on her, but then Gaila would be so pissed off she probably wouldn't be very helpful. Then she remembered an old trick her sister used on her. She carefully leaned over her body and gently pinched her nose and held it until the Orion began to stir. Nyota jumped away as if she had been on her side of the room the whole time.

Gaila was slightly disoriented because she didn't know what woke her, but she was awake.

"Morning Gaila" she said innocently.

"Ny, you're still here? Either you're really late which is unlikely or I'm up early" she yawned and stretched.

"Hey since you're up, can you help me with something?"

"You need MY help? It must be man related."

Nyota smiled "Well…"

Every trace of sleepiness fell from Gaila as she squealed and stood up. "I'm happy to help. Who is it? When did you meet him? Never mind, I know how secretive you are."

"I'm private, not secretive."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Now what do you need? Seven best positions to ensure he comes back? The three erogenous zones on every man that will turn him to mush? The killer position for your tongue when you're doing oral…"

"Enough Gaila. It's nothing quite that… intimate."

"Then what do you need my help for?"

"If you'd stay quiet and listen, I will tell you." Uhura thought to herself, if this is how she always listens; no wonder her grades were so poor. "All I need is an outfit that is appropriate for a crowd of high level Starfleet Academy brass, but can capture the attention of a man."

"So does he have a name?"

"He's no one you need worry about."

"Secretive! Just like I said. I'll find out eventually. So you're looking for sophisticated slutty?"

"Not quite, let's say sophisticated sexy."

Gaila started looking through her closet. Nyota looked over at her clock and realized that if she didn't start getting ready immediately she would be late for breakfast with Senior Hottie. "Look Gaila, I gotta run, but I trust your judgment… mostly. So leave the outfit on the bed for me if you're not here."

"Oh, I'll be here. There's no way you're taking my sophisticated sexy look and rocking that Starfleet approved ponytail with it. You'll need me for hair and makeup."

Nyota opened her mouth and then thought better of it. She'd fight with Gaila later, for now she had to start the day.

Breakfast that morning was a very strange affair for them both. Spock had stayed up late meditating in his room trying to subdue his emotional and physical responses to her scent in his bed. And on top of that the thoughts that Abigail had planted in both of their minds about each other totally threw the dynamic of their discussion off.

They were watching each other for subtle signs of how the other felt; and at the same time they each were extremely guarded against their own actions. Nothing out of the ordinary was spoken and to the outside observer it would look like any other breakfast they shared; but they both felt the subtle shift, it was in the air. It was almost like a presence sitting at the table with them, but was utterly ignored by both. Each of them thought they were the cause and sole person affected by this presence.

Getting to the conference room and starting the project helped distract them from their shared preoccupation. It was just like yesterday afternoon except that they were onto the Astral Physics section. The terms were simpler than biology, but the number of them and the variations had grown exponentially. T'Lori's pace had not decreased at all and within an hour they were solely focused on the project.

That evening Nyota walked into her dorm room. She needed to wind down for a half an hour or so, then she'd study the day's class work. The Admiral's Soiree didn't start until 1930 hours, so she had plenty of time. True to her word Gaila was waiting there to show her what she had picked out. The second she walked in the door, Gaila practically pounced on her.

"Come see what I picked out for you" said Gaila as she grabbed her hand. She sat her friend down on her bed and she reached into the closet and pulled out a shimmering piece of golden fabric. As it shown in the light it seemed to change color as the light hit it. Depending on how she moved it Nyota could see hints of green and orange that disappeared when the fabric was moved again.

"Wow. Gaila that looks amazing. What a beautiful scarf."

"Scarf? Sweetie this is the shirt."

"Gaila, there isn't enough material there to be a shirt." Nyota just looked at her. "Listen, we'll fight about it later. I want to read over the class assignments."

"Oh no you don't. Isn't this affair in less than three hours?"

"Yeah."

"We will need every second to get you ready."

"Are you kidding me?"

"No! And I don't want to hear any crap. You came and asked me to help you get the attention of a guy; so we will need every second to get you ready."

"Are you kidding me?"

"I'm ignoring you. Now go and shower, wash your hair and take the funky black nail polish off your finger and toe nails."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Will you stop saying that! Now go."

Uhura stood there looking stunned. "Are…"

"I said GO!"

She walked into the bathroom and began to prepare herself as Gaila had ordered her.

When she walked out 25 minutes later she saw their dorm room had been transformed into a makeshift salon. There were bottles, jars, gels and sprays everywhere.

She walked out wrapped in a towel and looked at Gaila's smiling face and simply uttered "I'm afraid".

"By the time we're done you will have the attention of your gentleman, and probably every man in the room."

"Remember that Starfleet Academy Brass will be there. I can't be slutty Gaila."

"Don't worry, I'm all over it."

At 0930 hours Nyota still hadn't seen herself. "Come on Gaila it's time. How much more can you do to me?"

"Just this" Nyota felt a cold mist as Gaila sprayed her with some fragrant perfume. "Ok take a look."

Nyota finally stood and turned to the full length closet mirror. "Oh my. I can't believe that's me." She waved a hand at her reflection almost to prove to herself what she was seeing.

The piece of fabric she thought was a scarf was pulled across her torso leaving her neck and shoulders bare. But the fabric was designed to only cover the front of her body. There were thin strands of gold thread that criss-crossed across her back keeping the fabric securely in place. The matching floor-length skirt appeared chaste at first glance, but in the front right, there was a split that went up her thigh. Due to the fall of the fabric the split was barely visible until she walked. The shoes that Gaila gave her to accompany were gold sandals with more of the gold threads which criss-crossed up her calves keeping the soles attached to her feet. The sandals reminded her of photos from Earth's ancient Roman period.

Gaila had taken great care with her hair which was pulled back slightly into a wide bun that was full of lovely curls with a few well placed braids as accents. She thought it looked regal. As she turned her skin caught the light and she saw the effect of the special lotion Gaila made her put on. This lotion had little golden specs in it and the effect was that her skin shimmered slightly in the light. Gaila painted her toe nails and finger nails in a deep shade of red with matching lipstick. Her eyes were highlighted in rich blue and Gaila had used eyelash extenders on her. She actually liked the effect, although she would not do this every day.

"One last touch and you're done."

"I can't imagine anything else you could do to me."

"Check these out." Gaila presented her with a necklace with matching earrings and bracelet. Uhura put them on. Then Gaila handed her an odd looking ring. "No sweetie, that doesn't go on your hand, it's a toe ring." She slipped it on and admired how it looked.

"Ok, am I ready now?"

"Just one more touch" Gaila turned to her with a small spray bottle and sprayed it against her neck and wrists. Uhura scrunched up her nose.

"You already sprayed me with perfume. What is this stuff?"

"I know it seems a little strong now, but in the next two minutes it will settle into your skin and you will be irresistible. No man-trap is fool-proof without a few pheromones." Nyota opened her mouth to protest and just decided to let it go. After all, it couldn't be unsprayed.

"I can't believe I look like this. And I feel kind of naked."

"Believe it babe. And there's nothing wrong with a little skin; besides it's just your back that's exposed. Now go and get your man. And you'd better come back with some good stories. Or better yet, hopefully you don't come back until the morning."

"Gaila!"

"Make me proud." Gaila exhaled deeply as she watched Ny leave. The little book worm was finally growing up. She started to clean up all the jars and bottles left from their beautification session. She smiled as she decided that such a task would be much easier if she had company, male company. She thought about calling Jim Kirk, but the problem is he wouldn't help her clean anything. She decided to call another of her standby boy-toys, who would do anything for her. She would watch him clean up and then she would reward him. She just had to make sure the rewarding was over before Ny got back from her party. Who knows, now that she was interested in a guy maybe she would ease up on her 'no sex in the room' policy.

Nyota stepped out of her dorm to make the walk across campus to the faculty dining hall. She was used to attention from people, especially men turning their heads when she walked by, but this time the effect was staggering. Men and women alike turned to openly gawked as she walked by.

At precisely 1930 hours all of the Vulcans including Spock were at the door of the faculty dining hall. Abigail decided to attend with Spock as she was always ready for a good party. As they all entered she was taken aback by the room. She had never been in it before, but she was certain that it wasn't ordinarily adorned with Vulcan tapestries. She loved the bright reds, oranges and golds in their artwork. She also noted there were two distinct food tables. She took a cursory glance at the vegetable laden table and knew it would be Vulcan approved. She smelled the cocktail wieners and meatballs at the other table and knew which table she would be frequenting.

Spock introduced her to each of the VSA delegates and when she looked upon Sorrell she knew he was the same person from her photos. She concentrated on making sure she greeted him the exact same way as the others.

The Vulcans were polite enough, but she found they didn't mix well with her outgoing personality. This was the way things were both times she went to Vulcan, but she did wonder if this "delegation" was made up of a more "sociable" group of Vulcans. After two minutes of trying to make small talk with T'Maii and then Spivik she gave up and decided to spend a bit more time with her nephew.

"Nyota is going to be so happy when she gets here. They've got a ton of fresh strawberry pastries over there."

"I was not aware that she had a preference for strawberries."

"Are you kidding? They are her favorite fruit."

"We don't spend time speaking about food preference."

"What's her favorite color?"

He merely looked at her.

"Favorite anything?"

"Our discussions center around the shared tasks that must be performed in our respective roles."

"Have you thought at all about our conversation yesterday concerning Nyota?"

"Indeed I have. I have no indication from Cadet Uhura that validates the statements you made yesterday."

"Ok Spock, howabout this. At some point tonight or in the near future, why don't you engage her in a conversation that does not center around Starfleet Academy and work. Ok? I know that you will see what I see and then perhaps you can open up to her about what you're thinking."

At that moment Nyota walked into the room and true to Gaila's word she had the attention of every male and several of the females. She saw Spock off to the side with Abigail. She took two steps in their direction and then found herself surrounded. Admiral Tapping, the chair of the department wanted to thank her personally for her work on the program, and each of the other top brass felt the need to be introduced and also give her congratulations.

Some even offered her drinks, appetizers and anything they could think of to bring the stunning beauty. She was finally able to excuse herself from them and resumed her walk towards Spock. If this look worked well on human males, hopefully it would work as well on Spock.

Spock spotted Cadet Uhura the moment she walked in the hall. He was overwhelmed with her appearance; he had never seen her look this way before. Her shoulders were bare again… and in public.

The department chair approached her and this caused her to turn her back to him. There was a slight intake of breath as he saw the bare skin of her luminescent back with thin gold strands of her outfit.

His primal urges rose again. He wanted to walk over there to her and get rid of the chairman as well as all the other men beginning to hover around her. He wanted to touch her beautiful skin, and he wanted to claim her as his. This was not logical, she was not his to claim; he was bonded to T'Pring.

He also had to remember that she was just his aide, he had no indication from her about her thoughts and he had yet to prove his Aunt's hypothesis that she desired to be with him. If she did desire him, what would he do about it? He became overwhelmed between thoughts of commitment vs. desire.

"Excuse me Aunt Abigail". He turned to look out the window and allowed his years of training and meditation to take over his growing… feelings for Cadet Uhura and push them down until they could be dealt with later. Aunt Abigail had been watching his eyes closely trying to decipher each change to gauge what he was thinking. She saw how unsettled he became when he saw her and decided he had had enough of her "assistance" in getting these two kids together.

The beauty finally got away from the cadre of admirers and she started walking around the room. Abigail suspected she would find her way to Spock sooner rather than later. In his present state of mind he might say or do something to push her away in the name of preserving his emotional state. They were perfect for each other and she couldn't allow him to screw it up.

Nyota looked around taking in the entire room. Most of the Senior Starfleet Academy Brass wore their standard issue dress uniforms. But most people in the room were dressed in their own garments for the party. She admired the robes that the VSA delegates wore, but they were definitely not attention grabbers. She wondered how Vulcan women went about attracting Vulcan men.

In the spirit of good relations she made sure to briefly chat with all the VSA delegates, with the exception of Sorrell. She really didn't care for him, and knowing what he did to Spock all those years ago certainly didn't help.

Abbey made it to Nyota before she got anywhere near Spock.

"Look at you Nyota. You certainly clean up well."

"You can thank my room mate for this look."

"So this isn't normally how you dress for a party?"

"Abbey, I didn't look this good at my sister's wedding. I asked my room mate to loan me an outfit that would help me gain a certain person's attention" her eyes quickly shifted towards Spock's back. "She said I would capture the attention of every man in the room, and she was not kidding. Although I'd have to correct her and say this outfit is Vulcan proof."

"I wouldn't say that. I will say that he was definitely moved when he saw you and although he would not appreciate me saying it, he's over there right now using every Vulcan exercise he knows to put himself back together."

Nyota's face lit up at first and then she became concerned "Was it really looking at me that had an affect on him? And if it was, why is he meditating? He doesn't want to have feelings for me?"

"The Vulcan mind is a tricky thing, I would say it's not that he doesn't want to have feelings for you, he wants to have control over them. When you were surrounded by all those men I saw the jealousy flash in his eyes."

She watched Nyota's face and saw that she was placated by her explanation. She inwardly sighed in relief, a crisis averted.

"Give him a little time. When he's ready, when he turns from the window why don't you go speak with him. Let him get a good look at your roommate's handiwork up close."

The women laughed together. Nyota was content to spend the rest of the time hanging with Abbey. Unfortunately the chair of the department tracked her down again. This time, no enamored flirting. Admiral Emma Symon had just arrived and wanted to get her perspective on the project as a student.

After five minutes Nyota knew that more than her own future was on the line in this conversation. The Admiral was indirectly trying to determine if having student participation in a project of this magnitude was the right thing. By the end of the conversation she believed she did herself and those students that would come behind her proud. She watched as the Admiral approached Spock who had just turned away from the window.

She was about to seek out Abbey again when she heard a familiar deadpan voice speak her name.

"Cadet Uhura."

She felt absolute dread. Why couldn't it be any of the other VSA delegates. "Greetings Student Sorrell, how may I assist you?" she said pleasantly.

"I wished to speak with you. As I understand human culture this is an appropriate venue for social interaction."

"Yes, you are correct. How are you enjoying the party?"

"I find the preparations acceptable. How are you… enjoying the party?"

"I am enjoying myself so far. I can't relax too much because so many of my Starfleet superiors are here, however I appreciate how they have transformed this room. I didn't imagine they could make it look this beautiful."

"I see. I also find this room to be aesthetically pleasing and I would like to let you know that I find you aesthetically pleasing as well." She smiled inwardly, Abbey was right again; this outfit definitely was not 'Vulcan proof'.

"Thank you Student Sorrell, I have to admit that I had a friend help me to dress up for the party."

"I wasn't speaking of tonight in particular. Although I see that you have added additional enhancements and changed your hair. I find your daily appearance just as pleasing." 

Uhura was taken aback slightly "Thank you again Student Sorrell."

"There is no need to thank me, it is a simple fact. I wish to make my decision known to you."

"What decision is that?"

"You are a very logical and intelligent woman who is also aesthetically pleasing without any adornments. You are passionate, and yet you are not ruled by these… emotions. Even though you are a human, you are acceptable to me. As a Vulcan I am a touch telepath and can determine the thoughts and feelings of those that I touch and in your case I could use this information to ensure you are always in an acceptable state and thus well cared for. I am also able to provide stimulating conversation on many subjects. My family does not posses much land or money, but I anticipate changes in the future."

Uhura just stood there looking at him trying to hide the fact that she had no idea what he was taking about.

"I see."

"Then I am also glad that I have met with your approval. I knew after our second day of working together that you would make an excellent "Tel Katelau" for me."

"A Bond Mate?" she quietly exclaimed wondering if she'd heard him wrong. 

"Yes. As a Vulcan I am superior to any human mate you would find. And I am a full blooded Vulcan and therefore superior to Spock."

"Sorrell! With all due respect my choices for whom I date or mate or marry are my own. And I can tell you, that you are not someone I consider to be a prospect."

"I am the most logical choice for you. But I perceive that you will need some time to work through the logic of this decision. You may take the rest of the evening to think this through logically and we will speak tomorrow."

Before Nyota could respond Sorrell had turned on his heels and walked away. She shook her head, she would deal with that pinhead tomorrow. She looked towards the window and Spock was no longer there talking to the Admiral. Perhaps he was ready to talk with her now. Her eyes scanned the room until she saw the flash of Abbey's smile as she spoke with Spock. He turned and looked over his shoulder following his Aunt's line of sight. There was no smile, no acknowledgement, only a nod and an intensity in his eyes that made her heart melt.

She walked over to them and Abbey almost immediately excused herself to go to the bathroom. She winked at Uhura as she turned away.

"I find this look to be aesthetically pleasing." She smiled slightly as he spoke almost the exact same words as Sorrell. Apparently limiting your emotional range also limited the ways you could convey your thoughts.

"I'm glad you like it." _'I wore it just for you'_ was on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't utter the words. They spent the rest of the evening conversing about various subjects, but nothing too personal. It was almost like a verbal dance between them. Nyota noticed that Abbey never returned from the bathroom, and she also noticed that Sorrell was giving her and Spock the Vulcan version of the 'stink eye'. Inwardly she smiled in satisfaction, after what he did to Spock as a child she was happy for any discomfort he might feel. _'Bondmate?'_ she thought to herself, she still couldn't believe he asked her.

As the hour grew late Nyota yawned. "Sorry Commander."

"There is no need to apologize Cadet. The day has been long and you require a certain amount of time for rest. We resume work on the project tomorrow morning. I will escort you to your dorm."

Nyota nodded as she turned to leave the party. She was elated. Having him walk her to her dorm almost made this feel like some kind of date. She saw Abbey as she was on her way out chatting it up with one of the Admirals and wanted to stop and speak to her before leaving.

"Sorry I didn't spend more time with you tonight."

"It's Ok, you spent your time very wisely tonight. I'm leaving for home on Monday. Perhaps we could get together for tea before I leave."

"How about tomorrow evening?"

"I'm visiting a friend so I'm skipping out first thing in the morning and spending part of the weekend with my friend in San Diego. Perhaps on Monday?"

"Yes, sounds like a plan." She looked at her friend and smiled "I'll miss you until then."

"I'll miss you too, but I'm sure you two can get along just fine without me."

Nyota shook her head and smiled as she headed out of the hall. '_Abbey has no shame'_ she thought to herself.

She missed the nearly indiscernible sneer that Sorrell gave Spock as she headed out of the door with Spock on her heels.

The walk to her dorm was going way too quickly for her taste. She looked up into the sky at the beautiful bright full moon. She lost her footing, but Spock was able to quickly keep her from falling. She gasped as she felt his very warm hands on her bare back and arm. It was as if an electricity had flooded through her body. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She looked up into his loving and concerned eyes. He observed how lovely her skin looked in the moonlight and how the sparkles she added to her appearance made her almost seem to glow. Uhura's lips parted almost instinctively and she began to move closer to him, the hand that was on her back to steady her becoming more like an embrace. Her heart began to pound in anticipation of their first kiss.

Spock was stunned into silence. He was touching Nyota, absorbing feelings of affection from her and now she was moving towards him. He wasn't sure of her intentions, only that they were laced with affection. Would she try to give him a human kiss? This would be a certain sign of her feelings. The shared trance between them was suddenly broken at the sound of a twig snapping nearby. Someone was coming.

Spock stood erect again and removed his hand from her back. "Let us continue on that you may get the required rest." He put his hands behind his back to keep them from trembling. At that moment, he knew he had another long night of meditation ahead of him.

She couldn't trust her voice to speak and she merely followed him. Neither of them bothered to find out the source of the sound as they were lost in thoughts of each other. Otherwise they might have noticed that there was no other sound after the break of the single twig. Sorrell stepped out from behind the bushes on the path and dropped the twig that he had snapped with his hands.

Sorrell knew he could not follow them into her dorm so he sulked back to the party. He reflected on Sarek and how the find of a logical human woman boosted his standing in their society, even though it was initially weakened. Sarek was now on the High Counsel. With a woman like Uhura at his side he could show everyone that he too was worthy of respect and position too.

Uhura was able to gain the respect of every Vulcan on the project in just two days. She would do no less on Vulcan. She would gain respect and position there. People would finally see his worth, through her. Yes! The human girl would be his mate, not Spock's.

He was not content to go through life in mediocrity like his father. No high level Vulcan woman would have him, but Uhura should be happy to have him. Although somewhat mediocre for a Vulcan, he was still far superior than any human and to that half-breed Spock. She didn't understand what was being offered to her, but he had to make sure she was made to understand before Spock decided to claim her as a mate.

Spock already had everything, why did he need her too? Spock the half-breed was never expected to do well at anything, so he was respected when he performed at the basic Vulcan level and regarded as a genius when he excelled Vulcan standards. It was easy for him because the bar for accomplishment was so low, mused Sorrell.

And to add insult to injury Spock was offered a place in the VSA at such a young age. He remembered still struggling through his basic classes when Spock was offered this coveted position. He had to submit his application three times, and was finally admitted based upon the fact that he excelled in one area – linguistics. But he knew with Uhura at his side, things would change. The son of a servant could finally become a master.

**A/N: Your comments and thoughts are welcome.**

13


	6. Chapter 6

Day 6 - Saturday

Nyota groaned as the computer woke her early Saturday morning. It wasn't fair, the weekends were supposed to be a time to sleep in. Although she was normally an early bird, after being out late at the Soiree she just wanted a couple of extra hours sleep. The memories of the day before came flooding in. The pleasant ones of how Spock had looked at her and the way they almost kissed, as well as the not so pleasant ones where Sorrell had asked her to be his bondmate. Ugh!

She looked over at Gaila who was fast asleep. As late as she had stayed out last night, Gaila wasn't home when she came in. At least she had a few more hours to collect her thoughts before Gaila bombarded her with questions about the Soiree. She quickly got herself together and prepared to face the day. Her hair held up pretty well overnight. She removed the band that pulled it back into a bun and began to pull out all of the pins. When she looked in the mirror and saw the effect she loved it. Now the curls fell loosely about her shoulders and the braids that Gaila meticulously wove in still made the perfect accents. She hoped that Spock would like it, and that Sorrell wouldn't. A quick sonic shower and she was ready to go.

As she rounded the corner towards the cafeteria entrance and saw Spock waiting for her, her heart leapt and she wanted to start running towards him. It was the same breakfast and strategy meeting they shared every morning since starting the translation project, but today was different. They had almost kissed last night. She knew that fact wouldn't affect anything that happened today, but just the thought of it made her heart soar.

True to form, Spock seemed indifferent to the naked eye, but she saw the gleam in his eye. He was moved last night. Abbey had been right, and she would have to figure some

way to get close to Spock.

"Good Morning Cadet." The words grated against her good mood. It made her feel like nothing significant happened yesterday.

"When we're alone perhaps you could call me Nyota?"

"That would be acceptable. And you would address me as Spock?"

She smiled "Yes."

"Good Morning Nyota."

"Good Morning Spock."

"You are still wearing your hair different from your usual style."

"A remnant from last night. It was quite a night. Some things I want to remember, some things I'd rather forget."

"Please clarify."

"Well, I enjoyed the time I spent with you and with Abbey." She wanted to mention the kiss that almost happened, but she chickened out. "I could have done with less Starfleet Academy brass and less Student Sorrell."

"Was he an annoyance to you? I have observed he seems to have taken an interest in knowing your whereabouts."

"Really?" she said, not trying to hide the annoyance in her tone.

"He generally tracks where you are in a room. Last night as we spoke, he spent most of that time watching us interact."

She shook her head. "I bet I know why. Would you believe he asked me to be is bondmate last night?"

She looked at Spock's face and saw the emotions pass through his eyes. Surprise. Concern. Anger. Nothing.

The emotional flash in his eyes was over in just a couple of seconds, but Nyota didn't say anything until his eyes were neutral again.

"Interesting. What was your response?"

"No, of course."

"Did you refuse him because he was a Vulcan?" There was a slight lilt in his voice, and she understood there was a double meaning to his question.

"Not at all. I have no issues with marrying a Vulcan. I do have issues with marrying a jerk, especially one that I barely know." She smiled at him. He nodded in response.

"It is nearly time for us to start the project Nyota. We should leave."

In the conference room she sat in her regular seat and today she was hyper aware of every look Spock gave her as well as every look Sorrell gave her. Every time she went for her hourly walk somehow Sorrell also made his way to the hallway for something. He continued to offer her backrubs and went so far as to actually lay his hands on her shoulders, but she was able to pull away. After that, she took her stretch breaks in the room. Spock noticed a change in her behavior, but there was no opportunity for him to inquire about it.

They were getting close to the end of the next session. As with the morning that Nyota stayed with Abbey; the team was about to enter a section where she would serve as little more than an observer. Spock noted the weary look in her eye, and suggested to T'Lori that she be allowed to leave for the day. Uhura did not protest. This led to a natural break in the work. The regular academy staff wasn't around on Saturday so T'Lori and Sulak went to pick up food from the cafeteria for the group since no one would be brining it. Spock went to bring water up from storage and Spivik and T'Maii went to bring the latest set of reports up from the science lab.

Sorrell's job was to monitor the existing systems so they wouldn't have to shut down completely. Uhura gathered her things together as everyone was in motion to carry out their assigned tasks. Neither she, nor anyone else noticed when Sorrell picked up her PADD when he passed her area. His intention was to use it as an excuse to drop it off at her dorm later where he could speak with her again about becoming bondmates.

Uhura made it to the front door of the building when she realized her bag was a little lighter than it should be. She looked through the bag and noticed she left her PADD behind… again. She returned to the room and there was Sorrell.

"You have returned."

"I just came back for my PADD."

If he allowed her to take it, there would be no logical reason to go to her dorm. Whatever he had to say to convince her had to be said now, unfortunately he had still been thinking through that part of the plan. "It is right here. After we are mated I will be able to keep track of your things for you."

"I did not misplace it, it was right with my other stuff. I don't know how it wasn't in my bag." Sorrell's eyes shifted away momentarily.

"So it has been 15.34 hours since we spoke, have you seen the logic in my offer?"

"I understand your logic, but I have no desire to mate with you Sorrell. I'm sure there are other human women who would be honored to have you."

"Yes, but these other human women do not possess your logic and your intellect."

"Sorrell, there are women who are smarter and more logical than me on Earth, not to mention on Vulcan."

"Perhaps, but I have not selected them. I have selected you. I now see that I will need to guide you through this process."

"Guide me? Listen, I don't want…"

Uhura was cut off when she felt Sorrell's hand against her face. She managed to pull away, but he was much stronger. He pushed her against the wall and resume placing his hand on her face. She started to hit at him and he grabbed both of her hands in one of his. She was about to start kicking him, but as he entered her mind she felt immobile.

She was scared. But then she felt something, a presence. She was no longer alone; her mind was invaded with other thoughts, foreign thoughts, unwanted thoughts. _'Sorrell… Sorrell… Sorrell will protect me. Sorrell will be with me. Sorrell should bond with me. Sorrell is my choice.' _

But this is not what she wanted, right? Her mind began to flood with desires, emotions and memories. She tried to run from them, stay hidden from them, but it was like a wave of water, flooding her and finding every corner. She kept running, she had to get away, but it was coming at her so fast.

Spock was the first to walk into the conference room and saw that Sorrell had Uhura pressed against the wall in a mind-meld. As he looked closer and saw that her hands were bound by his and the tears streaming down her face. He could see he had taken her by force. He ran over, but he couldn't just pull Sorrell off of her, it could cause her damage or pain. He placed his hand over Sorrell's face just as the other four VSA Vulcans entered the room.

Uhura felt yet another presence in her mind, and it just made her want to run faster; but she was getting tired, so tired. How could she outrun them both? The second presence was even more powerful, but instead of joining the first in overtaking her it seemed to halt the first presence. She finally stopped running. Yes, this second presence was pushing back the first. Then all at once she felt empty, very, very empty. She opened her eyes and saw a black Starfleet Academy professor's uniform… Spock. She was suddenly filled with fear… _'don't hurt me Spock'_ she thought as she slipped into unconsciousness.

Spock released Sorrell, and before either of them could recover he turned to Spock. "How dare you interfere Viltah*." Sorrell tried to take a swing at him, but Student Spivik and Professor T'Maii each grabbed an arm before he got anywhere near him. Spock finished it with a neck pinch that collapsed Sorrell.

"What shall we do with him?" asked T'Maii.

T'Lori saw that her husband was already kneeling over the unconscious Cadet and knew he would begin the process of determining what damage had been done and trying to undo it. "Take him back to our domicile; ensure that he is well secured. Make sure the humans are not alerted; this is a Vulcan matter."

Spock watched as they hauled away his childhood tormenter. His focus was now solely on the unconscious form of Nyota who looked so small and so frail at the moment. He was grateful for Sulak and his expertise of the mind.

After several seconds she began to thrash around and almost pull way. While she wasn't strong enough to push Sulak off of her, it was enough to disrupt his gentle and precise venture into her mind.

Spock and T'Lori knelt down on either side of her to hold her down. Sulak released her after what seemed like an eternity to Spock. He looked at Sulak for an update, trying to hide the emotion in his eyes, but he knew he was failing miserably. "What is your assessment?"

"It would appear that Sorrell was not just forcing a mind meld upon her, but he initiated a mating bond. I could see from the remnants of his mind that he did this in pure delusion; he was not even under the influence of Pon Farr. Although she was clear in her rejection, he viewed it as illogical and decided to just take her. Unfortunately he did not know what he was doing. He tried to implant thoughts into her head while creating the bond. For that reason I need an intensive session with her to try and undo the bond and make sure there is no residual damage. I did not anticipate this type of work; I do not have the right incense or herbs for such a work. We do not have enough time to get her to Vulcan for a complete purging before there is permanent damage."

After a few moments of silence Spock spoke up "I have many of our herbs in my quarters; perhaps I have some of what you need."

"It will have to do. Let us move quickly."

"I will carry her." Spock picked up her limp form. As he led the way to his quarters, fortunately there was no one around to see her unconscious form and raise questions. For this he was grateful. As he held her form he noticed how well she seemed to fit in his arms, she felt so warm, so soft as if she belonged there. He even had a flash of an old Earth custom his mother told him about, where the male carried the female into their home upon completing the bonding ceremony. As they neared his quarters he pushed these thoughts out of his mind, she was injured and he needed to do whatever was in his power to ensure she was returned to optimal heath.

Upon entering his quarters Spock laid her body down on the couch and began to gather everything he could find to aid Sulak. He began to place all of his herbs, incense, oils and candles on the coffee table for Sulak to look through. Then he rearranged his meditation space to accommodate Nyota and Sulak, then he returned to Nyota's side.

Nyota began to stir on the couch. When she opened her eyes the first thing she saw was Spock's face. She was immediately filled with hatred and fear and started to scream at him as she sat up. "Son of Sarek… you vile creature. VILTAH!" Spock froze in surprise at her words, he recognized them as Sorrell's words, but it was her soft melodious voice. He found it disturbing.

"That my family should serve yours… you are an abomination, you half human dog. You have no place in this world. How could you place higher than me in testing? You don't deserve to be here. I am a real Vulcan. Your mother is a human whore." He knew it was Sorrell's thoughts spewing out of her, but it unsettled him just the same. He reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder to calm her. "Ah, don't hurt me, don't hit me." She cried as she covered her face. "You disgusting foul thing. You deserve only death and pain you filthy half-breed."

She stood up shakily and looked around the room and finally took note of the other Vulcans in the room "Ahhhh, Sulak and T'Lori". The tone of her voice filled with venom. "You parade yourselves about as the perfect bonded pair, as if you are superior. But I will be bonded and then you will see what a man I am. All will see me and respect me."

By this time Sulak had everything set up and he nodded to Spock. He turned to the lovely face of Nyota twisted with an anger that was not her own. "It is time; you must come and allow T'Lori to prepare you." She only looked at him in disgust and turned her head. He moved to physically guide her and she backed away from him.

"How dare you try to touch me, filthy half-human dog…" T'Lori walked up behind her and gave her the neck pinch. Nyota's words trailed off as she lost consciousness.

Spock stood looking at her form in T'Lori's arms. Sulak began to explain "What you just witnessed is a remnant of the memories and emotions of Sorrell, however she does not possess the Vulcan command over these emotions to filter them and prevent their manifestation."

"Do you think you can completely undo the bond?

"You have everything that I need, there is no reason my ministrations should not work. Allow T'Lori to prepare her body."

Spock stared out of the window as T'Lori removed all of Nyota's clothing, and wrapped her private regions only, in the soft natural linen of his home world. He turned when he saw T'Lori walk with Uhura in her arms to the meditation mat." He took up a position next to T'Lori to observe without interfering. 

Sulak began to place the incense around her body and daub various points with oil. He began an intensive mind meld that caused her to small body to spasm and shake. It took everything within him not to show any reaction at all. He was still unsettled by the vicious words she spoke to him, and now he felt the most pronounced sorrow at seeing her like this. But it was necessary, because he couldn't endure her hating him.

Nyota moaned, then cried out. Spock's body jerked out of its own will. This earned him a side glance from T'Lori, but nothing more. Nyota opened her eyes and almost instantly several large tears began to fall. She fell back against the pad, limp. Sulak sat back from her, and remained silent with his eyes closed. Spock thought it was over, but he nearly cried out himself as he melded with Nyota yet again. This time there was no response from her whatsoever, he began to wonder if she were conscious at all. Thankfully this last time Sulak was engaged with her for only a few moments. When he sat back from her for the last time he stood up.

"I have cleansed her mind and broken their bond. I have searched her mind for traces of him, and found none. However normally the second level of clean up and search would be performed by another expert of the mind. This session has left me too weak to be as thorough as needed. Monitor her and let me know if you detect any residuals of Sorrell or any behaviors that are out of character. If this happens I will have to re-cleanse her mind within twenty-four hours."

Spock nodded. "I will care for her. Your skills have been proven to be most useful."

Sulak nodded as he moved towards his bondmate. Spock noted that his movements were 25.3% slower as he was weakened from the session. T'Lori stood next to Sulak as they walked, they joined hands as she lent her strength to him until they returned to their quarters.

Spock decided his bed would be a better place for her to recover; he turned down the bedding and went to retrieve her. He gently picked up her limp form and cradled her against his body. She was in his arms again and this time with less fabric between them, it felt natural to have her in his arms. He had always loved the natural scent of her body and the way it blended with the various perfumes she wore; but the way her scent blended with the Vulan spices was unexpected and had an almost intoxicating effect on him.

After placing her in his bed he pulled the blankets up about her shoulders. He started to turn away, but he realized he found unexpected pleasure seeing her in his bed. He sat down and watched her as he ran his fingers through her hair, gently arranging the lochs as he did. One last stroke of the back of his hand along her face and he forced himself to step away from her.

He returned to the meditation corner of his living room and went into a state of meditation. He had no idea what she would be like when she woke up, but he had to be prepared mentally if Sulak was not entirely successful. As the events of the day began to unfold in his mind, he began to get angry, how long would that bastard Sorrell torment him? His torment had now followed him into adulthood. But he pushed the thoughts from his mind as he sank into meditation.

A few hours had passed and Nyota was still asleep in his bed. It was still quite early in the day only 1600 hours. He decided to make something to eat in case she woke up and was hungry. He would put it in stasis since he had no idea when she would wake up.

He heard her stir in the next room, turned off his pot and went to see if she was awake. Nyota opened her eyes and she was completely disoriented. She looked around and she was in bed and didn't remember going to bed, and her head hurt like she'd been hit with several hammers. When Spock entered his bedroom he saw she was moving. He reinforced his emotional fortitude steeling himself against any insults she might throw at him.

She was relieved when she saw Spock come into her line of sight. "What happened? Where am I? My head hurts." Her voice was soft, practically a whisper.

"There was an unfortunate incident, but you are safe now." He noticed that his own tone automatically softened in resonance; previously he had only used this tone with his mother. He sat down on his bed to better assess her condition.

"An incident? This doesn't look like sickbay."

"It is not. You are recovering in my quarters."

She took a deep breath, something horrible must have happened, but she had a hard time focusing through the pain in her head. "What happened?"

She tried to sit up, and she reached out for him grabbing hold of his arm to give her leverage. He helped her the rest of the way, careful to only touch the cloth on her back. After she was upright she was dizzy and moved forward laying her head against his shoulder, her profile facing away from him. When she was settled she finally took stock of what she was wearing.

Spock was overwhelmed, he was prepared for her to verbally attack him, but he was not prepared for her to reach out for him. She actually reached out for him physically, even though she had no idea what was going on. She trusted him. Spock wasn't sure how to respond to her, so he thought of what his mother would do and he raised he hand and gently patted her on her back, carefully not to touch her skin, but to make sure his hand was resting on the cloth.

"Why am I wearing this? What happened to my clothes?"

"Your clothes are in the refresher. T'Lori changed you into these linens from Vulcan, it made the work that Sulak needed to do easier."

"What happened to me?"

"What is the last thing you remember?"

"After breakfast we went to the lab. I was going to leave early and then…" she gasped "I remember running and being scared, I was hiding from… from Sorrell."

Spock had hoped that she wouldn't remember the actual attack, but her recollection seemed quite clear "Sorrell attempted to force a mating bond on you."

She groaned as she put a hand on her head "That was horrifying, it felt like he was taking me over, consuming me. I can't believe this is what it's like Vulcans commit to each other." 

"It is not like what you experienced. Although I am only speaking through second hand knowledge, the mating bond is a sharing, to be linked together with another being on a level that can not be imagined. It is a sacred joining, a celebration of two that are become one. What Sorrell did to you… it was unthinkable. A mating bond is not something that is to be attempted by force."

"I need something for my head, it hurts so much."

"That would not be wise. Pathways in your brain have literally been severed and restored to their original position. Dulling of the pain may prevent the pathways from healing properly. This would mean Sulak would have to repeat some of the process to ensure that your connection to Sorrell is severed. But I must warn you that Sulak was weakened towards the end of the process so he may need to go back in anyway. He will re-evaluate your state tomorrow."

"I understand."

"In anticipation I have prepared a soup for you, it will not dull the pain, but it will aid in the healing process, reinforce it and perhaps provide some comfort." He reached behind her and arranged the pillows against the head board. He gently guided her to sit back.

He quickly returned with the soup he had made. When he looked into her pained face he realized he would need to assist her. He carefully took a spoonful of the soup and put it to her lips. She turned her head.

"I can see that you're too distressed to eat, however this soup is laden with the spices Sulak used to heal you. They are also in the same oils and spices that adorn your body. They will help stimulate the healing of your pathways. It would be beneficial for you to try to eat some of it."

She looked at him with a pained expression. But this time she opened her mouth when he brought the soup to it. Spock was concerned for her and her well being, but he was taken aback by the satisfaction he received from caring for her. There was gratification each time she took nourishment from the spoon and even more when a little escaped her mouth and he had to use the napkin to wipe her face. He began to realize how profoundly intimate these simple gestures were. He was caring for her like she was his bondmate; and he liked it. She was in his bed and although she was there for recovery he never wanted her to leave it.

Something broke within him at that moment. Aunt Abigail had been right, Uhura… Nyota was a suitable bondmate for him… no, she was the perfect bondmate for him. And from this moment on he would do everything within his power to win her affections. No more control, no more hiding, no more denying. No more T'Pring!

When she finished the last spoonful he resisted the urge to touch her face, after the attack he was not sure if it would be upsetting to her. He put the bowl in the sink and he would deal with it later, for now Nyota would need his help. He returned and he helped her to lie back down in the bed. The tension in her face had eased slightly and he was… gratified that he had been able to bring her some comfort.

When he finished helping her lay back down she was curled on her side wrapped snuggly in his blankets. He was about to take his leave when she reached for him again. "Can you stay with me, just until I fall asleep?"

He removed his shoes and laid down on the bed next to her. He rested his hand on her blanket covered hip and she seemed to relax. She had been through so much today. Spock laid there until he heard her breathing even out. Logic dictated that he should clean up the kitchen, he should contact Sulak and report on her condition, he should contact T'Lori and find out when they would resume work on the project and how they would proceed without Sorrell, he should check on Sorrell's confinement and make sure that he was secure, he should interface with the convoy of Vulcan security officers that would no doubt already be on their way to get him.

But for the first time he willingly embraced a little of his human half and he decided to stay with her a little longer. He allowed himself to imagine that she was well and alright and merely sleeping here because this is where she always slept.

Roughly twenty minutes later Spock's reverie was disturbed by slight jerking movements. He looked over at Nyota to see why she was twitching. Then he noticed that her head was moving back and forth, the expression on her face was one of distress. Her eyes were closed and he realized she was still asleep. He gently shook her.

"Nyota." When she didn't respond, he called her more urgently "Nyota!"

She awoke with a look of terror on her face. She looked at him and cried out "Spock" as she threw her arms around him. He put his arms around her in response. So much of her flesh was exposed that his hands touched her skin. He could feel the fear.

"What happened Nyota?"

"Someone was chasing me… Sorrell. He was chasing me and I was trying to get away from him."

"I believe you were having a bad dream. A residual from the experience of earlier today. Sorrell is in custody and he can no longer harm you."

She visibly relaxed and sank into his embrace. "My head hurts."

"I am sorry Nyota, I can not give you anything for the pain. Perhaps this will help." He moved one if his hands to the base of her skull and gently began to massage the area. He did this until her breathing evened out.

He finally stopped his ministrations as he gently kissed her forehead. "Sleep well K'diwa (Beloved)."

He believed she was asleep, but she was in the delicate moment somewhere between sleep and being awake. In her subconscious mind, she heard him.

Spock never napped, it wasn't logical. But he fell asleep next to Nyota. When he woke it was nearly 2200. He had tasks to perform he opened his eyes and saw Nyota's sleeping face just inches from his own. She was still wrapped up in the blanket, but she was burrowed against his chest, like perfect spoons. A singular thought went through his mind 'K'diwa'. But in reality she wasn't… yet, he wanted to indulge in human fantasy a little more, but he had tasks to accomplish. He quietly got up and he heard her moan slightly when he moved away from her.

He took a long look at her in his bed, committing the image to memory. She would get better, he wanted her to get better, but then she would leave. He went into the kitchen and cleaned up from last night, then straightened the meditation area. Afterwards he prepared more soup for her in case she still had a headache. He saw a passing image in the mirror as he walked around his quarters. He had never slept in his clothes before, or looked this disheveled, but he would never trade it for the feel of her in his bed.

Just as the soup was finishing up he heard her in the other room. He moved to the room to see if she would need anything. She was just trying to sit up. "Nyota, how do you feel? Does your head still hurt?"

He helped her move into a sitting position just like that afternoon, but she did not reach out to him as she before. Her head titled back against the headboard, her eyes closed. "It still hurts, but the pain is nothing like earlier."

"Stay here. I will bring you more soup."

Spock filled the bowl with more of the healing spice soup. He stirred it as he sat down on the bed next to her. She was about to reach out so he could give her the bowl, but then he turned and lifted the spoon to her mouth. He was going to feed it to her. She was going to tell him it was Ok, that she was well enough to feed herself, but when she looked into his eyes she became speechless. She saw love in his big brown Vulcan eyes, there was no other way to describe it. He loving fed the entire bowl to her and he gently wiped her lips with the napkin. It was so beautiful and so intimate, Nyota felt her heart swell. She wondered if he understood the intimacy of the moment, she doubted it.

"Do you want to go back to sleep?" she noticed that his tone was softer than before.

"Yes, but do I qualify for a pain killer yet?"

"No, the pain must be endured until all the neural pathways return to normal."

"Of course." She smiled painfully as she leaned her head back against the headboard. "Will you stay with me again?"

Spock nodded. The idea agreed with him and it showed.

Nyota moved to get up from the bed. "What do you require; I will bring it to you."

"Actually I need to go to the bathroom."

"I see. I shall help you to the door."

Nyota stood up, she was lightly holding onto Spock's arm. After she entered the bathroom she was able to take stock in what she was wearing. It appeared to be a long strip of cloth, perhaps two. The wrapping was designed to cover her private areas and not much more. She tried to shift the cloth, but it was wrapped too well; she ended up unraveling the wrap from around her hips, through her legs and back again several times until she was free to use the facilities. She allowed the cloth to rest on the floor and the weight of it began to pull at the rest of the fabric that covered her breasts. By the time she was done there was nothing but a pile of fabric on the floor and she was completely naked.

She finished doing what was she needed, then attempted to re-wrap herself. She was not able to securely wrap the fabric so that she was comfortably covered again. She looked around Spock's bathroom and there was no robe, not even a full sized towel; just a small towel for drying the hands. She thought about making a run for the bed, but for all she knew he was waiting outside the door, besides the fact that she would probably fall before she made it. She moved aside from the doorway and folded her arms to cover her breasts. When the door opened thankfully he was not in the bedroom.

"Spock?"

"Yes, Nyota" she saw Spock entering his room.

"Please don't come any closer. I had to take the fabric off to use the bathroom and I can't re-wrap myself. Are my clothes ready? Or do you have clothes I can borrow?"

Spock nodded to himself, he should have realized this would be an issue. "You clothes are not ready yet. I shall find you something comfortable to sleep in."

He went to the closet and found a bathrobe that his Aunt Allison had given him years earlier. He never had occasion to wear it, but he thought it would be fine for her. He stepped near the door and held the robe out. He saw her slender brown arm reach out to take it from him. How he wished for just a glimpse of her totally naked body, but this was not the time. She needed his help and his new found desires would have to wait.

She had hoped for clothing rather than a bathrobe, but beggars could not be choosers. He walked her back to the bed and she crawled back under the covers hoping that the next time she woke the headache would be gone. Her tension eased greatly as she felt Spock's weight in the bed as he lie down next to her. She fell asleep while he gently rubbed her neck.

*Viltah – Term used to disparage ones mixed heritage; cuss word; insult

**A/N: Thank you so much for sticking with me. Stay tuned for the next chapter. Your comments and reviews are welcome.**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I just wanted to thank you all again for the reviews. I was blown away that a couple of you read and reviewed the last chapter twice. I'm writing for my own enjoyment, but you all are really make it a great experience.**

Day 7 – Sunday

Abbey quietly entered Spock's quarters. She was half a day early and she knew she should have contacted Spock to let him know she was returning early. But she was so frustrated; she had so much on her mind. Marjorie was a dear old friend that she could no longer be around for longer than 24 hours. She would love her friend from a distance and next time only visit for a day trip. It was 0130 hours and there was no way she was going to contact Spock after midnight, he would have been asleep.

She sat her bags down and noted how the place was still orderly, but not quite as pristine as usual. There were dishes in the sink, and his meditation space had more stuff in it. She wondered if he was Ok, or perhaps he was extra clean because she was visiting, but somehow she doubted it.

She took a peak into his bedroom and her heart leapt as she saw two figures in his bed. But in the dim light she was able to see that Nyota was under the covers, however Spock was on top of the covers and still fully clothed. This was very odd; however he was spooned up against her with his arm wrapped around her so it couldn't be all bad.

She grabbed the spare blanket she had used on the shelf and settled herself down on the couch. It would be an interesting morning.

At 0700 hours Spock walked into the main room and began to put his kitchenette back in order. Something out of place caught his eye and he saw his Aunt Abigail asleep on the couch. She was not scheduled to come back until this afternoon, and yet here she was. In respect for her he continued with his activities, but much more quietly than normal.

Abigail was brought back to consciousness for the morning with the delightful smell of fresh Jasmine tea. She sat up and took stock of her nephew's appearance. He was still in his uniform, now rumpled from being slept on. She thought to herself of how many people would love to get a photo of him looking like this. Since he hadn't taken the time to groom himself Nyota must still be asleep.

He brought a cup of tea to his aunt and sat down next to her with his own. "I deduce you and your friend Marjorie had a disagreement."

"Your logic is dead on. I still love her, but she's not a very good hostess. But I see you're having a little slumber party of your own, although I would deduce that something is wrong with my girl in there."

"Your logic is also sound. She suffered a mental attack at the hands of one of the Vulcans working on the project."

She looked at him in surprise "It was deliberate?"

"Unfortunately."

Her surprise turned to horror. "Don't tell me, it was that S.O.B. Sorrell wasn't it?"

"How did you deduce this?"

"Easy, rotten children become rotten adults. Doesn't matter whether they are Vulcan or human. Why did he attack her?"

"He decided he would like her for a bond mate. She refused him, and he decided to initiate a mating bond by force."

"Is she Ok?"

"Last I spoke with her, was just before midnight and she appeared to be herself, but I won't know for certain until Sulak, the Vulcan who treated her examines her again."

"Glad to hear it. Now, is the part where I stop pretending I'm not a nosy relative. How the hell did you two end up in bed together? Are you dating now? Did you guys… you know?" said Abigail as she winked at Spock.

"After she woke I fed her and when she lay down to sleep and continue her recovery she asked me to lay down next to her for comfort. I inadvertently fell asleep."

"I should have realized you wouldn't have a juicy story."

"I…"

Spock was interrupted when he saw Aunt Abigail suddenly look up. Spock turned his head and Nyota was in the doorway. Although she looked well rested she had her hands wrapped around her torso. She looked so vulnerable and Spock was surprised at the overwhelming need he felt to protect her. Not just from Sorrell, but from everything.

"Good Morning Spock, Abbey."

Abbey looked at the young woman and was moved with compassion. She got up, walked over and put her arms around Nyota who fell into the embrace. "I'm sorry for what happened to you sweetheart. Are you feeling Ok?"

"Yes, I feel fine now. My head still hurts a bit, but it's pretty minor compared to last night." Abbey kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm glad. Are you hungry?"

"Yes, I am.

Abbey turned to Spock who responded. "I have given her Spiced soup. I could quickly make Polmeek soup for you both."

Abbey looked at him "I don't think so. If she's had nothing but soup for the last few hours, she probably needs a more hearty meal. I'm sure the replicator can produce pancakes, eggs and maybe some sausage."

"Is this meal for Nyota or for you?"

"It's for us all. I know she's not a vegetarian by the way she was sucking down those cocktail wieners at the party. And I know you like pancakes. So…" Abbey looked at him expectantly.

"As you wish Aunt Abigail."

Nyota and Abbey looked at each other and smiled. Abbey leaned in conspiratorially "You have to train them early on in the relationship. Get the upper hand now or else."

Nyota just shook her head "Aww come on Abbey. We're not in a relationship…"

"Yet!" Abbey cut her off.

Nyota just smiled. "Don't you think you're being too tough?"

"Not at all, just ask my sister. If she had taken my advice when she and Sarek first started spending time together she wouldn't be eating Plomeek soup for breakfast for the rest of her life. You should see her when she comes to Earth, she eats bacon like a thirsty man drinks water after being lost in the dessert for weeks." Abbey laughed and Nyota smiled again.

Nyota laid her head on Abbey's shoulder.

"So, when did he start calling you Nyota?"

"Yesterday morning. I have to admit I love how his voice sounds when he says my name."

"Oh you have really got it bad…"

Before they could get into really good girl talk Spock arrived with trays laden with the requested items in addition to fresh fruit. His eye brow arched as he watch the two women before him. He was pleased that they got along so well, but even more so that nothing of Sorrell seemed to remain. But he would know for sure that afternoon.

Nyota felt much stronger after the hearty breakfast. Aunt Abigail excused herself so that she could jump in the shower and get refreshed.

She had been alone with Spock many times before, but she suddenly felt awkward; walking around in his bathrobe after having spent the night in his bed, with him in it for the most part. She helped him clean up after the meal after he which he brought her clothing to her and laid it upon the bed for after her shower.

After Abbey came out of the bedroom Nyota showered and dressed. The feelings just got more awkward as she looked at the pile of clothing and realized that Spock had to "handle" her undergarments. There was nothing to be done about it now, she just got dressed and tried to pretend it didn't happen. After getting permission she used his hair brush and fortunately he had an extra toothbrush in his apartment.

Feeling like her old self she walked into the living room. For the first time she took stock of his appearance, he was slightly disheveled. The way anyone would look in the morning before they prepared for the day and she was happy. She was happy to see him in this way; a way that few others would ever see him.

He turned from his terminal and gave her updates of everything that had happened in the last 24 hours. Vulcan security authorities had been dispatched within an hour of the attack and Sorrell would be on his way back to Vulcan to face judgment by tonight. He noted that Nyota shifted uncomfortably. The remaining four VSA Vulcans had continued to work on the project while she, Spock and Sorrell were out of commission. In spite of T'Lori's over scheduling they were now grossly behind. The project could last as long as another five days. Sulak would arrive later this afternoon to examine her.

Nyota sat on the couch and rested, allowing her mind to clear while Spock was showering. Abbey sat down next to her and merely put her arm around Nyota. She could tell the young woman was lost in her thoughts and would speak to her when she needed.

She wondered what would have happened if Spock hadn't stopped Sorrell before he completed the process. Could it be undone? She was glad she didn't need to have the answer. However within the anger she felt there was gratitude. Despite the headache she would always remember lying there next to Spock. He was so warm and despite the fact that they were separated by linen wraps, blankets and Spock's uniform he felt good against her.

What would it be like with skin to skin contact? The very skin that he was in there washing right now. She had seen him in his workout clothes at the gym and he appeared to be quite fit. She wondered if he really had the wash board abs she imagined he would have. What if she conveniently 'forgot' some personal item in his bedroom and happened to be there when he walked out of the bathroom.

As she mulled over the option, it suddenly disappeared as a fresh and crisp looking Spock exited his bedroom.

"Sulak should be here in a couple of hours. How are you feeling, does your head still hurt?" Spock sat down on the chair opposite the two women.

"I feel good and my head doesn't hurt anymore. Although I have to admit I felt so much better after Abbey's big breakfast." She quickly added "Not that the Plomeek soup wouldn't have had a similar effect." Abbey patted her thigh as she smiled.

"There is no need to make justification for your enjoyment of Aunt Abigail's selection. I am simply gratified that you are feeling well and healthy."

"Now that my headache is almost gone I'm able to think a lot more clearly. I remember what it was like… when I was bonded to Sorrell."

Spock froze as he looked at her. "You weren't fully bonded to him. He didn't complete the process."

"I remember feeling how he felt, but I don't feel him anymore." 

"That is good to hear."

"But I remember."

"You have his memories?"

"I don't think I have all of his memories, but I remember things. I remember what was in his mind at the time and I remember what he was thinking."

"What!" chimed in Abbey.

"I remember. He was so angry."

"He was angry at you? Is that why he attacked you?"

"Yes and No. He was angry that I rejected him, but that wasn't why he attacked me."

"Then why sweetie?"

"It was a combination of things. He was jealous of you Spock, so, so, jealous. That's why he teased you as a child. He called you awful names like half-breed to hide the fact that he would have given anything to be you."

Spock leaned forward as she spoke. His was glad to hear these insights that would help him understand what happened to him as a child, but saddened because if she had his memories, they must still be linked.

"I don't remember all of his memories, just what was on the surface at the time. There was a time when he had come to your family residence to be with his father. He was nine years old. He assisted his father in tending the grounds, but he didn't want to. He wanted to sit in the shade and relax. Maybe study his school work because he had started to fall behind. When he looked at the patio of your home he saw you sitting on a chair doing your school work. As you sat there one of the maids brought you a cool drink. He wanted to be in your position so badly. He resented that you were born into a more prosperous family than he was."

Spock shook his head "That is not logical. No one has control over what family they were born into."

"Yes, but you had a position of respect. Your family has land and is well respected."

"Each person is worthy of respect in their position regardless of their job. It is how they perform the job that determines their worth, not the job itself."

"I guess it's easier to say that when you're the wealthy son of an Ambassador who gets to sit in the shade" she said somberly.

Abbey frowned "But that doesn't explain anything. Why attack you because he was jealous of Spock as a child?"

"Because he is **still** jealous, and he is obsessed with attaining a higher level of position in society. Of being served rather than being a servant. He tried to do it academically, but he was average. Spock excelled academically. He tried to do it through finding a high status bond mate, but the women of high status families with money, land or power didn't want him.

"He wanted to make me his bond mate because of the project. They did not respect me just as some do not respect him. However I was able to gain their respect in just a couple of days. If he could bond with me and bring me with him to Vulcan he assumed I would gain respect there as well. And this would gain him the respect he craved his entire life. Except that I refused him.

"When he asked me to be his bondmate he told me what a great offer it was because as a Vulcan he was superior. But the truth is… he felt inferior because I accomplished what he could not. He's a tormented person."

Abbey held her tightly as she gently stroked her hair "I'm so sorry Pretty Nyota. This shouldn't have happened to you."

She closed her eyes "It's not your fault, it's no one's fault. And one thing my mother taught me is that you can't control the things that come at you in life, but you can control how you handle them. This was terrible experience, and yes emotionally it hurts. But I will not be the victim or even the survivor – I am the victor! Because I will live the rest of my life as I want, not as Sorrell wants."

"I love your attitude."

"Thanks. My mother is an incredible woman." Nyota gave her that twinkled smile she loved so much and Abbey laughed as she gave her a good squeeze.

"And you are an incredible woman too." She looked over at her nephew who was sitting and watching them both. She couldn't tell what emotions were pooling behind his eyes, but she suspected they had little to do with her. "Listen I need to go for a little walk, you know work off some of those sausages. I'll be back in about 45 minutes or so."

After Abbey left Spock and Nyota sat there merely looking at each other. "Sit with me Spock."

He got up and sat next to her. She looked into his eyes and saw the love and concern there. She had slept in his bed, and this time actually in his arms. Shouldn't this open them up for a deeper level of their relationship? Could he feel her love?

She lifted her hand to touch his face. The motion was slow, deliberate and did not escape Spock's attention. She saw his eyes shift to look at the hand that was approaching his face. He wanted her to touch him, she was sure of it.

The door chime rang freezing them both in their place. Nyota's hand was three inches from Spock's face. She quickly lowered it as Spock called out.

"Enter."

He quickly stood up and she knew he was working to remove any trace of emotion from his eyes before the others entered. She looked towards the door and saw Sulak and T'Lori. Without fanfare or even greetings they entered and Sulak stood in front of Nyota. "Cadet Uhura I need to examine your mind again, to ensure there are no residual connections to Sorrell."

She nodded and stood up. She was afraid, but she would not voice her concerns. She simply concentrated on keeping her breathing steady and remaining as still as possible as Sulak's hand approached her face. Her eyes closed involuntarily as she felt his presence in her mind. Her first instinct was to run like she did before, but it left almost as quickly. The presence wasn't overwhelming, it was almost comforting. Like a fog that rolls in over a small town, it covered everything and yet nothing was out of place, nothing destroyed – only covered.

The fog rolled in and just as she got accustomed to its permanent presence, it rolled out. Nothing harmed, nothing missing, nothing out of place. Then she was alone again. She felt slightly disoriented as she opened her eyes in Spock's quarters. She sat down on the couch to reorient herself. She laid her head against the cushion until the wave of dizziness passed.

"Her mind is clear" was the diagnosis of Sulak. "Some of the pathways are still healing; however none of them are connected to Sorrell."

Spock looked at him "Are you certain? She told me about some of Sorrell's memories not more than an hour ago."

"She is not actively linked to his mind. However she will still retain the memories of what he was thinking during the attack and during the time after for as much as they were linked. The only way to get rid of this information is to erase her memory of the event and everything after."

Nyota wouldn't have minded erasing the memories of Sorrell's attack, but she did not want to lose the time she spent with Spock. Perhaps it was her headache ridden imagination, but during that time she felt like he loved her. "No, that won't be necessary."

T'Lori now stepped forward "Cadet Uhura. On behalf of the Vulcan High Command we offer you our apology for what has happened. I hope you realize that what Student Sorrell has done is a behavior that is not condoned on Vulcan or anywhere else."

"I understand that Sorrell acted on his own. Spock has told me about how all of you acted to rescue me from him and to restore me back to health."

"That is good to hear. I hope you understand that an event such as this is something that should be shared with discretion. Commander Spock has relayed this incident to your superiors, but we ask that you treat this attack as a confidential matter."

She stood looking down for a moment. "I understand."

"Thank you Cadet."

T'Lori looked at Spock "Once she has recovered from the meld, you will meet us at the lab to resume work on the project. If you are well enough cadet your presence would be appreciated as well." Spock and Nyota nodded in agreement as T'Lori and Sulak took their leave. He prepared tea for Nyota and when she sat up he handed her the cup of brewed Vulcan spices.

"Now that I've got a clean bill of health I guess I'll be going back to my dorm room tonight." 

"Yes, that would be the logical course of action."

"It's very comfortable here. And I want to thank you again for saving me from Sorrell and nursing me back to health. It means a lot to me."

"I am gratified that I have been able to assist. As for the state of my apartment, you are welcome to visit **anytime** you wish."

Did he really just put an emphasis on anytime, or did she just imagine it? "Thank you. I just had a great thought. You made soup for me and tea to help me through the healing process. I would like to cook dinner for you, to show my gratitude."

"The gesture is unnecessary as you have already verbally expressed your sentiments. However I must admit I find the thought of such an event appealing."

She smiled at him "Are you free this Tuesday night?"

"I am."

"Great it's settled then." She put down her empty cup of tea, then stood up slowly ensuring there wasn't any residual dizziness. Without another word they walked in comfortable silence to the lab.

There was a slight pang of panic when she entered the room where Sorrell attacked her. She looked at his empty seat and reminded herself of the fact that he was in custody somewhere and would never bother her again. She exhaled in relief.

Nyota's head was swimming all afternoon, but it wasn't the residual of her attack. She just freakin made a date with Spock, and he said 'yes'. Although it was technically a thank you dinner, her intention was a date. She performed her duties without flaw, but she struggled to keep Spock out of the forefront of her mind.

If she could read minds she would have known that Spock was having identical issues. Nyota would be returning to his quarters, and she would cook for him. On that night she would care for his nutritional needs, like a bondmate would. He considered that might be an opportune time to declare his intensions towards her.

Tuesday could not come fast enough for either of them. But Spock knew there were several tasks he needed to perform before he engaged her on Tuesday. But they would have to wait until Aunt Abigail left.

When Nyota entered her quarters that evening a highly agitated Gaila was waiting for her.

"Where have you been? Don't you know that I've been worried sick?"

"Sorry Mom."

Gaila's face softened and she started to laugh. "Sorry. But Ny, you've never disappeared on me before. Staying out all night is my job."

"I'm sorry, I should have called you."

"Were you with your mysterious male friend?"

"Yes, but it's not what you think. I became… ill while working on the project. He took me back to his place and cared for me."

"The sensitive caring type. Oooh I love those. They're not always good in the sack, but they're usually great for everything else."

Nyota smiled to herself 'Spock… the sensitive caring type? If she only knew'.

"So are you feeling better now?"

"I am, thank goodness. I haven't gotten to study my class notes the last couple of nights, so I've got a lot to catch up on."

"Are you crazy? I haven't seen you since Friday night when you left for your fancy party. How did the men like your look? Was your gentleman there? Was he drooling all over you? Did you kiss him? Is he your boyfriend now that you spent the night at his place? When do I get to meet him? Where…"

Nyota started to zone out. She now knew she would get very little studying done tonight and probably very little sleep as well.

It was close to midnight when her terminal showed an emergency message coming through. She was concerned, but secretly grateful because Gaila was still pressing her for details. Her brows furrowed as she saw it was Spock.

"Commander Spock?"

"Nyota. Sorrell has escaped."

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned. Next chapter arriving soon.**

10


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Hi everyone. Sorry for the long delay, especially since the last chapter was a cliffhanger. Unfortunately I was sick for a few days and was behind in everything; but I'm feeling much better now. As much as I wanted to write and edit it had take a backseat. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Day 8 – Next Monday**

Nyota stood just looking at Spock's image on the screen. She felt a wave of fear go through her like an electric shock.

"Sorrell escaped? How? Where…"

"There is no time for questions. I need you to pack a bag and be ready in ten minutes. I am coming to get you. Spock out."

She watched her dark monitor and it was Gaila's voice that broke her out of her reverie. "Who's Sorrell? Why is the commander coming to get you?"

Nyota blinked several times. "I've got to start packing" she said aloud to herself. She began to spirit around the room gathering items into her overnight bag.

"Wait a minute, you haven't answered my questions."

At that moment the dorm room chimed. She looked at Gaila "Can you find out who is at the door. If it's anyone besides Commander Spock don't let them in."

Gaila stepped back quietly as she absorbed her roommates concern. "Ok."

Just a couple of seconds later Gaila returned with Spock.

"Are you ready Cadet?"

"Yes Commander." She turned to her roommate who was now almost shaking with the tension and fear for her friend. She hugged her. "I'll be alright Gaila. I'll call you tomorrow."

"Be safe" she said as they headed out of the door.

Nyota felt safe with Spock in spite of her concerns about Sorrell. "Where are we going?" she asked as they walked across the deserted campus. She tried to imagine what kind of safe location they would be going – a safe house or maybe some guarded chamber.

"My quarters." She was about to question why when she realized it was the place she would feel the safest.

Upon entering she saw Abbey was sitting on the couch and she gave Nyota a big hug when she saw her.

"Are you Ok?"

"Yes, I am. I'm just a little shocked. I thought life was returning to normal."

Spock stood nearby and she turned to him.

"What happened? How did he escape?"

"He was relegated over to StarFleet security to be held until Vulcan security arrived to take him back to Vulcan. Although the Humans are knowledgeable about Vulcans, evidently they are not knowledgeable enough. When they went to check on him he appeared to be in a coma. They took him to the medical bay with minimal security.

What they thought was a coma was probably a deep meditative state. Sorrell simply bided his time, came out of the meditation and snuck past the light security detail. This was a grave breach of protocol. Someone should have contacted myself or the VSA delegation about the perceived change in his health." 

"So do they have any idea where he is?"

"Not at this time."

"Do you think he will come after me?"

"It is uncertain. But I will do **everything** in my power to ensure your safety."

Spock could see the weariness in Nyota's eyes even though she was trying to be strong. "You need to get some rest. You and Aunt Abigail will share my bed."

Nyota turned to look at him "What about you?"

"I have some additional coordination to do with security and the VSA delegation. When it is time for me to rest I will sleep on the couch."

Nyota opened her mouth to protest, but Abbey pulled her arm with a smile. "It's Ok Nyota, unless you'd like to share the couch with me?" Nyota smiled and they walked into the bedroom together. She took a glance over her shoulder at Spock as she did.

"Good night."

"Sleep well". 'K'diwa' he thought in his mind.

Nyota woke early that morning expecting everything to be as it should. Gaila sound asleep in her own bed, alone; and first light breaking through the morning.

She opened her eyes slightly and then reality came crashing down around her. She was in Spock's bed… again! Not that being in his bed was a bad thing, but then she remembered Sorrell.

Her mind was flooded with questions and concerns. She got up quietly and tip toed out of the room to go speak with Spock. Perhaps they caught Sorrell already.

She was so preoccupied she walked into the living room without thinking about what she was wearing. Spock was sitting on the couch writing into his PADD.

"Good Morning Spock."

He looked up at her, and then quickly looked back to his PADD. "Good Morning" he said quietly. Spock was almost rendered speechless as he saw her standing there in her green silk PJs. The length was modest coming just above her knees, but her shoulders were only covered by the thin straps. He was again taken with how beautiful she looked first thing in the morning. He entered a quick silent meditation to counteract the effect of her appearance. By the time she sat down he was back in control.

She sat down on the chair opposite him. "Is there any news?"

"No. Sorrell is still at large. The security team arrived from Vulcan an hour ago and

T'Lori is working closely with them and Starfleet security towards tracking him. I was just checking for updates."

She merely nodded, hoping that her nervousness wasn't apparent to him. "Do you… do you think he will come after me?"

"It is uncertain what his next steps will be. But I will do everything I can to protect you."

The resolve in his eyes allayed all of her fears, for the moment at least. She knew Spock would do everything, but the question was - would it be enough?

They sat quietly for a few moments until Abbey woke and entered the room. She pursed her lips as she took in the somber mood in the room. She was concerned about Sorrell's escape too.

"So I guess he hasn't been captured yet?"

Nyota responded "No not yet."

She stood near Nyota and put her hand on her shoulder. "You feeling Ok?"

"Yes. I have to admit that I'm very concerned, but I'm not going to let it get the best of me. Unlike last time I'll be prepared, after all I came in fifth in my combat class. I just need to review those lessons and I'll stop him if he tries to come after me."

"Fifth? That's great. Someone who scored so high will be able to defend herself."

Spock finally chimed in "I regret that I must disagree with your assessment. While you did score well in the combat training class, reality will be somewhat different; especially in this situation."

"What makes you say that?" asked Nyota as she cocked her head inquisitively.

"Vulcan combat training which Sorrell has surely taken during his course of study has proven time and again to be more effective than those taught at the academy. It has been marked as an area of improvement in the curriculum for that reason. In addition Vulcans are three times stronger than the average human."

"So I am at Sorrell's mercy unless I have another Vulcan there?" she said dejectedly. Her mind held an unwelcome image of T'Lori or T'Maii escorting her to the bathroom.

Spock sat thoughtfully for a moment "No. Sorrell has the advantage of training and strength; however there is a technique I will attempt to teach you. It is difficult to learn, but you have proven yourself to be an excellent student. If you can master it enough to use it properly you will be able to subdue him."

Her eyes lit up "Yes! Yes, yes, please teach me."

"It is called 'Aiyahl'. It is a neck pinch that will render a person unconscious for roughly half an hour. It is not effective on all humanoid species, but it is effective against humans and Vulcans."

She nodded at him.

He began to explain the mechanics of the pinch and instructed her to learn the feel of a neck on herself. After several moments he instructed her to feel the anterior of his neck in comparison. She tentatively moved her hand over his neck until she found the similar feeling spot on his neck.

"That is the correct area. Aunt Abigail, would you allow Nyota to touch your neck to further familiarize herself with what she should feel? Allow her to practice?"

"Of course. Anything I can do to help." Abbey stood patiently as she felt Nyota's slender fingers on her neck.

"I think I feel it. Can you double check?"

Spock nodded as he came around the other side of his Aunt and touched the exact same spot where Nyota had her fingers.

"You are correct. See if you can find it as quickly again."

She put her fingers back on Abbey's neck and found the spot more quickly than last time.

"Ok, so now that I know I can identify it, what are the next steps?"

"You simply apply pressure on the area with your thumb and forefinger almost like a pinch and the person will lose consciousness. Please proceed."

"Proceed? No, I don't want to hurt Abbey."

"You will not hurt her."

Abbey chimed in "It's Ok Nyota. Try it".

Spock continued "Besides the likelihood you could successful execute a neck pinch the first time is one million…"

He stopped speaking as his Aunt's limp form fell to the floor. Nyota looked at her with bulging eyes as she screamed "Abbey." She proceeded to turn her over and lightly tap against her cheek.

"Fascinating" was the only word Spock spoke as he knelt next to them both. He gathered his aunt into his arms and gently laid her on the couch.

"Will she be alright?"

"Yes. She is merely unconscious. I do not know how hard you pinched her so the least amount of time she will be out is five minutes, and the longest will be an hour or so. I am pleased with your progress."

"Really?"

"Very much so. When I was taught this technique I attempted the pinch thirty-seven times before I was able to bring someone to a state of unconsciousness."

"Let's hope I can do the same thing to Sorrell." As she sat down on the edge of the couch and took the hand of the unconscious Abbey she added "I hope I'm not in a position where I need to try."

Spock looked at Nyota intently "I **will** protect you."

She was overwhelmed as she looked at him and saw the resolve in his eyes. She shifted uncomfortably. "Perhaps we should think about getting breakfast together so that it will be ready when Abbey wakes up."

"I believe you are correct. I will start assembling her favorite breakfast foods in case her mood is negatively affected by the success of the pinch."

Roughly fifteen minutes later Abbey began to stir. Nyota wondered if her friend would be upset at all that she had been rendered unconscious. She opened her eyes and saw Nyota's concerned face and smiled.

"I take it you knocked me out."

"I'm so sorry Abbey."

"Don't be. I'm just that you were able to do it." Abbey wrinkled her nose. "That smell. Is that…" She sat up all the way "Belgian waffles?"

"With strawberry topping" added Spock. Nyota's ears perked up when she heard that and hoped that he had prepared enough for all three of them. The last thing she wanted was to sit there and eat Vulcan breakfast soup while she watched Abbey devour Belgian waffles.

Spock placed the tray on the living room table and to Nyota's delight there was more than enough. The tray also contained Canadian bacon and a dish that looked like bananas.

"What are these?"

"Grilled Bananas. There's nothing else quite like them. It's one of the reasons I moved to New Zealand. Replicated is good, but the fresh ones are outstanding."

Nyota tried the dish and loved it. They sat together enjoying the breakfast and each other, while trying to keep worry about Sorrell from ruining their time together. While they were eating, a message came through. Spock went to his terminal, but instead of continuing their meal Nyota and Abigail watched his back. When he returned both women were looking at him for answers.

That was the head of Starfleet security. Sorrell has not been captured, but his trail leads off world. He apparently was able to get aboard a freighter vessel headed for the lunar colony and from there secured passage on another cargo ship towards Trill.

Both women visibly relaxed a bit. "I'm so happy that Sorrell isn't even on this planet anymore, but I have to admit that I will feel a lot better when he has been captured."

"As will I" chimed in Spock.

A second message came in through to his terminal and Spock excused himself again.

"That message was from T'Lori. Now that Sorrell is no longer an issue the project will resume at 0930 hours. I told T'Lori not to call your quarters, that I would inform you."

"You mean she doesn't know I'm here?"

"No one does. Everyone thinks you are still in your dorm, this was the only way I could ensure your safety."

Nyota pursed her lips to keep herself from smiling, but when she looked at Abbey she realized she didn't need too. Abbey was wearing a smile big enough to fill the entire room. They finished up their grand breakfast and Nyota called Gaila to let her know everything was Ok.

After Nyota had showered and changed into her uniform she sat in the living room with Abbey. "I'm sorry we didn't get to have our coffee together."

"We still can if you're game."

"But I thought you were leaving today."

"No. Once I found out that Sorrell had escaped I cancelled my plans. I wanted to be here to support Spock… and you. Family should be together in a time of crisis. Now that I know everyone is safe I will re-book my travel plans probably leaving for tomorrow. So we can meet for coffee first thing tomorrow."

"I would love to."

At that moment Spock walked out of his bedroom. "It is time for us to go to the conference room." She nodded as she rose, then she reached for her overnight bag. "I will carry it for you." She nodded and Abbey did everything in her power to keep herself from sighing.

Back in the conference room it seemed that everything had returned to normal. Any residual feelings Nyota had about Sorrell had completely disappeared. She supposed that was the advantage of working in a group of non-emotional beings; very little tension in the air. Although in the back of her mind she wondered if Sorrell would keep running never to be heard from again, or if he would return. As the pace of the project sped up, all extraneous thoughts left her mind.

She thought T'Lori's pace was strenuous before, but now that they were officially behind the schedule was relentless. She didn't believe it was possible to keep such a pace, or possible for herself to keep up with such a pace, but she did it. Her hourly stretch breaks became a luxury she could no longer afford. During the entire morning she took only one break and she was sure to make it count. She could see concern in Spock's eyes as he looked her way briefly, but then two algorithms popped up and he was engrossed again.

Student Spivik left the room at roughly 1245 to go to the lavatory. Not more than thirty seconds later a message came in for T'Lori and Sulak from the Vulcan homeworld. It was marked urgent and private. They left to go to a private room in which to view the message. Next a message arrived from the lab for T'Maii, no student aids were around so she would need to come to retrieve the reports from the last section. Although she showed no emotion Nyota could tell she was not pleased with being saddled with this portion of Sorrell's job.

Spock and Nyota looked at each other briefly and then continued the pace of the project as if the room was full. It would not escape T'Lori's notice if no progress was made during the time that she left the room. Suddenly their terminals went dark and the lights went off. Spock looked around the room, the only light coming from the one window on the far side of the room. Although it wasn't completely dark, half of the room was cast in deep shadows.

"We must have experienced a power outage."

"But what about the emergency backup systems?"

"You are correct, they should have come on my now. I will try to ascertain the situation."

As Spock approached the door it suddenly opened. "It was Sorrell."

Spock immediately took up a defensive position. Nyota only looked on in disbelief.

"Student Sorrell, it was reported you were on your way to Trill?" Spock asked calmly.

"It was just a ruse. Freighter captains are easily persuaded to help a person when the possibility of monetary gain is involved."

"I will not allow you to hurt Cadet Uhura again."

"You ignorant Viltah. Why could you not have just left us alone. We would be leaving now on our way back to the Homeworld as a bonded pair. The balance of my life would be on its proper path. But because of you now I am a fugitive."

"Leave now. I will not allow you to take her."

"I did not come here for her. She is useless to me now. As a fugitive what can she add to my life? You have done this to me Viltah and now just as my life is over, yours will be as well."

"This is not logical Sorrell. Harming me will not improve your future; it will only seal your fate as a fugitive."

"You are correct. It will not help my future, but I will find satisfaction in knowing that yours has ended."

Sorrell pulled out his weapon, but Spock was faster than he anticipated. He kicked it from his hand and it flew into the wall. Sorrell yelled as he lunged for Spock, but Spock was able to raise his hands to counteract the movement. As they struggled hand in hand, each trying to get upper position over the other, Nyota ran to get the gun. She picked up what was left of the phaser, its casing shattered with the strength of Spock's kick. Useless!

She looked on in horror as it seemed that Spock would not be able to get the upper hand on Sorrell. With his hands struggling against Sorrell he was not able to execute the neck pinch that could end all of this.

She thought she might go get help, but she knew most people would have evacuated the building by now because of the power outage. If she went to get help it might be too late when she returned. Her path was clear. She quickly and quietly walked behind Sorrell. She couldn't risk getting this wrong so she leapt onto Sorrell's back wrapped her legs around his torso. Her hands how trying to find the correct spot on his neck. She pinched down, but nothing happened. She tried again and still nothing. Then she realized she was in motion, Sorrell was backing up. She presumed he was trying to hit the wall in an effort to dislodge her. Spock was struggling to not only keep Sorrell from attacking him, but now he was also trying to pull him forward fearing what the impact could do to Nyota's small frame.

Nyota was not going to give up to save herself from injury. She had to do this for Spock. In his desperation Spock kicked out his leg to try to slow Sorrell down, but this only weakened his stance and Sorrell was finally able to get the upper hand. He suddenly pushed forward and Spock bent backwards unable to find stability with his other leg in time. Part of his torso was now being pushed against the table top. She realized that if Sorrell pushed any harder he could snap Spock's back.

Nyota closed her eyes and concentrated on finding the exact spot on both sides of his neck. She pinched her fingers as tightly as she could and felt Sorrell's body go limp. As he pitched forward Spock was able to remove himself from Sorrell's grasp and he went down on the floor and Nyota with him.

Spock gently pulled at her arms, but they would not budge. "Nyota, we are safe. Everything is Ok. Please release Sorrell; if you keep the pinch up for much longer you will cause him permanent damage, or even death."

She pulled her arms away and immediately wrapped them around Spock as tight as she could. She held onto him as if her life depended on it. As the shock wore off she began to sob in his arms.

Spock looked at her, seemingly intrigued by her tears. As her sobs subsided she sat back and he reached his hand towards her face and gently wiped away her tears with the back of his fingers. The gesture made fresh tears fall from her eyes, but she doubted if he would realize his kindness was the source of the fresh tears.

"You saved me Nyota. Thank you." He said tenderly.

"I owed you".

She wanted to kiss him at that moment, tell him everything that had been brewing in her heart for months. As she opened her mouth to speak the power came back on and within seconds the room was flooded with people. First T'Lori and Sulak arrived, it turned out their message was bogus and they had been locked in another conference room. They called security once they realized the message they received was false.

Starfleet security, flanked by Vulcan security officers flooded into the room and began to secure the unconscious Sorrell. He would not be taken to the medical bay, but would be transported directly to the Vulcan ship. He would be light years away from Earth before he woke up. Spivik arrived rubbing his bruised neck as Sorrell pinched him too hard to knock him out. T'Maii did eventually show up with the reports. She had to evacuate the building with the rest of the occupants, reports in hand.

The couple was quickly separated as Starfleet security as well as their superiors wanted debriefs from both. T'Lori took one look at Nyota's puffy eyes and tear streaked face and allowed her to retire for the day due to her 'over-emotional' state. Spock and the rest of the VSA Vulcans continued with the project well into the night. T'Lori was determined to make up as much time as possible.

Nyota was in her room alone the balance of the day. She had been through a lot the past few days, but she focused on her schoolwork. It was the perfect distraction. The door chimed around 1800 hours letting her know someone was there. After she opened it she was pleasantly surprised to see Spock.

"Hello Spock, would you like to come in?"

"Sorry to disturb you, I came to return your bag. With all of the distractions today you left it in the conference room."

"Thanks. Are you Ok?"

"I sustained no damage from Sorrell's attack, but I must admit I have the same concern of you."

"I'm fine, better than fine actually. I know I went through a lot today, but it's so good to finally have him out of my life. To know that he will never hurt either of us again. How did things go with the project after I left?"

"We made significant progress. Student Spivik had an idea that enabled another mass overlay of information. Unless there is an unexpected glitch we will finish with the project tomorrow."

Nyota's eyes went wide. "Fantastic!" she yelled. Then she realized how ungrateful she sounded. "It's not that I didn't enjoy the project, it's just that I had so much school work piling up. This afternoon actually helped me out a lot."

"I understand Nyota." 

"Uhmm… I know there's been a lot going on, but I wanted to find out if we were still on for dinner tomorrow night?"

"Yes. Aunt Abigail is leaving tomorrow mid-morning, and based upon the current trajectory the VSA Vulcans will leave tomorrow at 1700 hours. There is no reason we can not meet, unless you require additional time to catch up on your school work."

"No!" she said a little too forcefully. "As I mentioned I did a lot of catching up this afternoon, and will continue to do so. I would still like to cook dinner for you, unless you will be too busy?"

"Not at all. I am looking forward to it."

"Great."

"I must take my leave of you now and return to my quarters."

"I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast?"

"Yes."

"Then goodnight Spock."

"Goodnight Nyota."

When Spock returned to his quarters he was grateful to see that Abbey was having dinner with another friend. He had much to do before tomorrow night, and he needed to get started.

He went to his communications station and entered a familiar address.

"Greetings T'Sira"

"Greetings Osu (Sir) Spock. How may I serve you?"

"I need to speak with my father."

"I will alert him."

Within moments, his father Sarek was on the screen. "Sa-fu (Son), is everything alright? I can see the tension on your face."

"Sa-mekh (Father), all is well. But there is something I wish to discuss with you."

His father nodded "Proceed." 

"I value and respect the customs and commitment of our family. However there is a vow I must inform you that I intend to break."

"I assume you know the consequences of your actions. What have you decided to do?"

"There is a human woman here on Earth. I have known her for the past two years, three months and fifteen days. She is intelligent, levelheaded and beautiful. I intend to make her my bond mate."

"I see. Have you contacted T'Pring to determine if she is in favor of dissolving your commitment?"

"No Sa-mekh, I wanted to speak with you first. I know there will be ramifications regarding the alliances and strength of our house."

"It is my responsibility to care for such things not yours. I will say that our family has grown stronger and more well respected than 18 years ago when I arranged your marriage. I am now a member of the high council, there will be no loss of power or position if you do not take her as your bond mate.

"But my concern was not only for our house, but you for Sa-fu. Because of your mixed heritage I was concerned that you would not be able to obtain a bond-mate on your own. But as with everything else, you have proven that you are more capable than most full-blooded Vulcans. When is your bonding ceremony that I may inform T'Pau and prepare for your stay?"

"Actually we are only at the beginning of human courtship rituals. She has not consented to be my bond mate yet, so there is no date."

"Sa-fu, this is not a logical course of action when dealing with humans. You should not dissolve your commitment to T'Pring until you know this human woman will agree. Human women can change their minds from minute to minute. Your mother has proven this numerous times." 

"I understand, but even if this did not work out with her, I would not wish to remain committed to T'Pring."

Sarek started to continue lecturing his son, but he realized based upon Spock's history it would avail nothing. Spock had his own view of things and he would follow his own brand of logic. He decided to try an approach that would not alienate his son like the last time they were opposite ends of a disagreement. Their relationship took awhile to heal after he turned down the VSA for Starfleet.

"Tell me about this human woman then."

"She was a student of mine when we first met. She was top of the class. Six months ago she became my teaching assistant. While she is a human and primarily led by her emotions she has a strong sense of logic. She works extremely well with Vulcans and is comfortable around us. Most recently she worked on the translation project with myself and a delegation from the VSA."

There was a slight flash in Sarek's eyes, undetectable to human eyes. "She worked on the project? Is this the woman that Student Sorrell forced himself upon? Nyota Uhura."

"Yes, she is the same woman."

"It was most egregious for Sorrell to force himself upon a being that had no way to fight against his advance. This morning the high counsel has begun to debate as to whether he will receive a death sentence for his crime. Tell me, is she alright?"

"She was given a positive report by Sulak. We were most fortunate that someone with mind-healer training was in our group."

"And you believe she would accept you as a mate after what Sorrell has done?"

"I do not see how one act relates to the other."

"I agree with you as would any other Vulcan. However after being married to your mother after so many years the human mind tends to relate things together. I provide you this warning not as a discouragement against pursuing the woman, but to simply tread carefully."

"Th'i-oxalra Sa-mekh." (I appreciate it Father)

"Sochya eh dif Sa-fu" (Peace and long life Son)

"Rom-halan Sa-mekh" (Good-bye Father)

Spock sat back his mind absorbing his father's conversation. He had never considered that Sorrell's actions could dissuade Nyota from considering him as a mate. As he analyzed the situation he came to the conclusion that it actually drew them closer because he had cared for her. If she did feel that way he would need to help her to remember how he had cared for her and looked after her after the attack.

His path was clearing. He was one step closer to being able to approach Nyota as his 'love interest'.

**A/N: Stay tuned for the next chapter. Your comments and thoughts are always welcome.**

14


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hi All. Sorry for the delay, but I've been making some revisions to the last few chapters. Your comments have been so encouraging and inspiring that I wanted to make sure these last chapters were as engaging as the rest of the story. Hopefully I hit the mark. Thank you for reading. Enjoy!**

Day 9 – Next Tuesday

Nyota woke bright and early. She took a deep breath and prepared to face the day. It would be a bittersweet day for her. First of all, her new friend Abbey would be leaving to return to New Zealand. She still couldn't believe that she had formed such an attachment to her in such a short period of time. And unless there were some major glitches, the translation project would be completed today; which meant that tomorrow she would return to her regular schedule. But most importantly tonight she would go to Spock's quarters tonight to make him dinner.

She felt like her old self as she packed her bag, and reviewed everything she would need for the day. She waited for Abbey at 0630 hours at the nearby off campus café for coffee. And at 0715 hours she would meet with Spock at the cafeteria for their last status meeting/breakfast.

She arrived first and within two minutes she saw Abbey walking down the street. She observed the look of melancholy on her face and knew that Abbey would miss her as well.

They took a quiet booth in the corner as they began to sip on hot coffee. "I'd love to ask how things are going with Spock, but I know everything was thrown off by that little wanker Sorrell."

"I'm not thrilled with him either, but there is a silver lining to the cloud."

Abbey's face perked up with the intrigue "Do tell."

"In gratitude for his care of me while recovering, I am going to cook Spock dinner tonight in his quarters."

Abbey's face completely lit up "We can never be too grateful can we?"

"He deserves it, even if I wasn't interested in him. But I think it will be a nice evening, just the two of us. I may change my mind by then, but I plan to tell him how I feel and see what happens. When he looks at me sometimes I feel so certain that he will return my feelings, then other times I'm full of doubt."

Abbey made a quick nod with her head as she absolutely beamed in agreement. "I know putting yourself on the line isn't easy, but don't chicken out. I believe you will be pleasantly surprised with the results. Although, I would request a favor?"

"Anything Abbey."

"Will you give me a call on Wednesday and let me know how it went?"

"Of course."

They spent the rest of their time together chatting away until it was almost time for Nyota to meet Spock.

Meanwhile Spock saw that Abbey left at 0615 hours and he again was grateful for privacy. He called Vulcan for the second time in as many days. Due to the time of day on Vulcan there was a seventy-four percent chance that he would not reach her, but he decided to try anyway.

He had to admit to himself he did have some concerns. He had no idea what T'Pring's reaction would be. He imagined she would welcome the prospect of being free from this obligation and have the ability to select her own bond mate; however since they had not spoken in years he had no idea what she preferred.

Now that his father was on the high counsel and his family's wealth and position had increased considerably she or her family might want this union. There was no logic in speculating, he needed to speak to T'Pring as soon as he could.

The screen changed and an image of T'Pring appeared before him. He almost didn't recognize her because it had been many years since he had seen her; not since he had left Vulcan for Starfleet Academy. Their last conversation did not go very well as she expressed her displeasure to have any connection to someone who had insulted the VSA.

Her face filled the view screen and he was taken aback by her beauty. T'Pring was considered extremely beautiful by Vulcan standards and would be considered so by any other humanoid species. Her face had filled out more since he had last seen her and the change only enhanced her beauty. But he found her to be wanting in comparison to Nyota.

"Live long and prosper, T'Pring."

"Peace and long life, Spock. What is the purpose of this communication? Is it time for your Pon Farr?" Although T'Pring's tone was neutral, Spock could hear the undertone of contempt in her voice, just like always.

His eyebrows raised at her question. If he had any plans to take her as a bond mate he would be shamed at this moment. Such things were never spoken of and she knew she was denigrating him by brining it up in such a manner.

"It is not, although this is not a topic for decent conversation."

"Apologies Spock. I only wished to know if you were contacting me with the intention of… fulfilling your koon-ut-la (Childhood bond)." Although the planes of T'Pring's face were the perfect non-emotional image, he could hear the dread and contempt in the tone of her voice.

Spock felt all the tension leave his body. Her attitude and lack of courtesy would make this conversation very easy.

"I am calling in reference to **our** bond, but it is not to fulfill it. On the contrary to your thoughts I am calling to dissolve it."

She was silent for a moment as she looked at him and processed his words. "My family's position is not as strong as it once was. Through poor decisions we have lost land and money. They would have benefited greatly from this union financially as well as politically now that your father is on the high counsel. However it is I who will be bonded to you, not them; I am in favor of severing the bond. I will inform them at the conclusion of this interaction. I must admit my curiosity as I inquire why."

"I have met another who will be more suitable for me."

"A human?"

"Her heritage matters not in this situation, however yes, she is a human."

T'Pring lips moved subtly, almost like the beginnings of a sneer, "What else could be expected from the son of Sarek."

He would not be goaded into an emotional response. "The fact that she is human did not influence my decision towards her, in reality it is what prevented me from opening my mind to the possibility when I first met her. The simple fact is that in spite of the fact that she is human, her logic, intellect, beauty and personality make her a more desirable mate that yourself."

T'Pring's jaw shifted slightly. "I'll pass your wishes along to my family. Live long and prosper Spock."

"Peace and long life T'Pring."

When the view screen went off Spock took several deep breaths. He was so grateful for Nyota at that moment. He could only imagine what kind of hell is life would have become if he had become fully bonded to T'Pring. Images of a lifetime of contempt started playing in his mind. He probably would have spent extended time in space only returning home every seven years to mate with her.

He sat down to go into intense mediation to release himself of all the negativity that T'Pring made surface within himself. He was meeting with Nyota for breakfast and he wanted to be clear of mind. T'Pring was his past. Nyota was his future.

After fifteen minutes he was able to go and prepare himself for the day and leave to meet Nyota.

Nyota and Abbey walked towards the campus cafeteria with arms linked. When they turned the corner they saw that Spock was standing there waiting for Nyota. After they arrived Abbey gave Nyota a big hug and then turned and pulled Spock down by the shoulders so she could peck him on the cheek.

"Bye-bye Thumper, I'll be expecting a visit from you over spring break."

Spock's cheeks and ears turned green even though his expression did not change. Nyota looked at him in fascination. "I will see you then Aunt Abigail. Please contact me if you require any assistance with your luggage and I will have someone come help you."

"I'll be fine." She started to walk away and then called over her shoulder "You two kids have fun." Abbey turned the corner and she was gone.

Nyota and Spock went inside for their last conference, while Abbey went to meet another friend for breakfast. This was her last social event before taking the transport back home. Spock and Nyota resumed their usual table.

Nyota felt melancholy as they sat down "I guess there isn't a lot to confer on since the project will end today."

"We cannot account for every variable; however it would appear that we will complete our project today. How did you sleep last night?"

"I slept fine, why do you ask?"

"I do not know if you recall, but you had a nightmare while you were in my… quarters." He was glad he caught himself; he almost said 'bed'. "I have been concerned that you might have additional nightmares, but this is the first opportune time to inquire."

"No, I've slept fine since then, but you don't know how much it means to me that you would ask. I have to admit I will miss having these breakfast meetings with you. It was a really nice way to start the day."

"If you find them to be pleasant, I see no reason to not have them periodically. After all we do work together and I could see where a status meeting of this sort would be beneficial to our working relationship."

"Yes, benefiting our working relationship is exactly what I had in mind." Her slightly sarcastic tone was completely lost on him. "I will miss Abbey a lot though. How often does she visit?"

"Generally Aunt Abigail is in this area two times per year, occasionally three. It would appear that the two of you have gotten along quite well."

"More than that, I think. I feel like I met one of my best friends."

"I am glad. I find her to be of similar temperament to my mother. When I introduce you to her I imagine you will bond with her as well." Nyota felt stunned. 'He wants to introduce me to his mother?' And then she decided she should question him a bit, because it may not mean anything.

"I would love to meet her. When is she coming to Earth?"

"Actually, there is no scheduled visit from my parents."

"I see." Her unspoken questions hung on her lips never to be asked. _**'How will I meet her? Why are you introducing me? Are you inviting me to go to Vulcan with you?'**_

She decided to forge ahead in a more comfortable vein. "For your meal on tonight, I can make a few really good vegetarian dishes…"

The balance of the project was done by early afternoon. The second and the final diagnostic showed there were no errors. They were less than twenty-four hours off of their original schedule. Nyota was completely impressed with T'Lori's foresight and project management skills.

Everyone was involved in the final clean up. Making sure that every single section was completely covered and coordinating with representatives from each of the science departments. Spock, Nyota, T'Maii and Spivik were each meeting with a difference science department while T'Lori and Sulak were putting the finishing instructions on each file.

Nyota went to the Astral Physics department which was in the same building and she completed her task and returned to the room earlier than anyone else. She wasn't sneaking around, but due to her mood she might have been quieter than her usual bouncing footsteps. She was at the doorway and evidently T'Lori and Sulak finished their work early as well. She saw them looking intently at each other across the table and again T'Lori extended two fingers toward Sulak and he responded in kind.

Nyota took a step back, and then walked forward with a step hard enough to alert them to her presence. She noticed that they quickly separated, so this confirmed that this was something only the two of them shared, and they only did it privately. She felt that touch was very important to them, so the gesture must logically mean 'I love you'. She found nothing in the database when she looked it up after the first time she saw it, and she couldn't ask because it would be apparent she was spying. She tucked the information away for possible use at a later time.

The VSA Vulcan's departure at the shuttle bay was just as elaborate as their arrival. All the top brass was there to bid them farewell. After giving them the proper Vulcan salute, she realized she was sorry to see them go. She had learned so much about Vulcan culture by observing them and she felt like she understood Spock just a little bit better.

Nyota and Spock walked through the grounds each to their respective residences. They were awarded the rest of the afternoon off and wouldn't resume their normal schedules until tomorrow. When she got back to her room, Nyota began to wonder if the department chair really thought his offer to take the rest of the day off was generous since it was already 1650 hours.

She put down her school bag and took the opportunity to go to the market and get fresh ingredients. She didn't just want to cook him dinner, she wanted this to be special. She wasn't one hundred percent sure of Spock's intentions, but she always thought positive and worked hard to get what she wanted. And she almost always got what she wanted.

Her desire to be with Spock was as intense as her desire to join Starfleet. She made it in the first time she tried, but she would have applied 100 times if that's what it took; because Starfleet was what she wanted and was worth the effort. One thing she knew for certain was that Spock was what she wanted, and he was worth the effort.

After leaving Nyota's side Spock went to speak with Captain Pike, but he learned that Pike was off world, not to return until tomorrow. He left a message that he would like to meet with him. Then he went back to his quarters and engaged in a long intense period of meditation. Now that Aunt Abigail was gone and the project was over he wanted to make sure he was clear of mind when Nyota arrived. Afterwards he began to clean his already neat and orderly apartment to the point where it was practically sanitized.

In preparation for his relationship with Nyota, Spock had cleared the obligations of his family, but Starfleet was a whole other issue. Since he could speak with Pike yet he decided to review the regulations, a task he had not had time for while his Aunt was here.

He started to go through Starfleet Academy regulations concerning relationships and how they should be conducted. Spock never actually read these sections before, it never pertained to his situation and in his role as a faculty member such issues would be handled solely by the Dean of Students or Human Resources.

To his amazement the regulations were nearly silent on the situation. It didn't cover student/student relationships or student/teacher relationships. And the little bit that was addressed gave no direction on how he should proceed with Nyota. Starfleet regulated and over regulated nearly every aspect of military life, with the exception of interpersonal relationships. He would need help and there was only one person whose judgment he would trust in such matters. Nyota would be here soon, he abandoned his research so he could change clothes.

Nyota shopped and shopped until she nearly ran out of time. But at exactly 1730 hours she was standing outside of his door with the groceries she would need for the meal.

After she rang the door opened and she was surprised when she saw him. He was in the middle of setting the table, but he wasn't wearing his uniform. Even when she had spent the night there he was in his uniform the entire time. It wasn't unreasonable for him to have other clothes. He wore a white long-sleeved button down shirt and a pair of khaki pants. The look suited him wonderfully. In all her planning she never thought to change her clothes, so she was still wearing her red cadet's uniform.

He would notice she didn't change, of course. But would that change the dynamic of this dinner at all? Would he view it as a thank you dinner and not think she was interested in him romantically? She smiled as she squared her shoulders 'so what if he did?' Yes, she would have to work harder, but he would be made to see what this meant to her, to them.

"Nyota. You are punctual as always."

She smiled and walked towards the kitchen, and then she suddenly had a stroke of genius. "In order to be punctual I had to skip going back to my dorm room to change my clothes after grocery shopping. Perhaps you have something here I could wear?"

His eyebrows went up into his hairline as he stared at her. He didn't even blink for the first two seconds. "I… I am sure I can find something suitable for you to wear."

She watched him turn to go into the bedroom, and on a whim she followed him. After all, it's not like she had never been in there before. He had just pulled out a maintenance uniform that would be used when climbing Jeffries tubes and other maintenance work.

"No, I think that's too formal."

He nodded as he put it back. He moved to the drawer and pulled out a t-shirt like what would be worn at the gym. His hand was over the matching gym shorts when she told him that wasn't suitable either.

"Something that isn't Starfleet issue perhaps?"

He stood looking around his room. Nyota had another great thought; she walked up to him and tugged at his shirt "Do you have another shirt something like this?"

He turned and pulled out a beige button down shirt from the closet. "I'm not sure how well the accompanying pants will fit you."

"That's Ok Spock. I won't need the pants."

He froze in place for a few second and extended his arm with the shirt to her. "You have seen me in quite a bit less, haven't you?"

He nodded. "Wait outside and I'll be there. If you want, you can put on a pot of water and start cutting up those vegetables. I'll be there shortly."

After he walked out of his bedroom she let out the biggest sigh 'But damn, am I ballsy tonight' she thought to herself. Abbey must have rubbed off on me more than I thought; she chuckled to herself as she stripped off her uniform.

The oversized shirt hung on her just right. The tails covered her front and back, but the sides showed just enough thigh. She rolled up the sleeves and left the top four buttons undone. She checked her appearance and there were two more changes that needed to be made. First she stripped off her boots, and second she pulled the tie out of her hair allowing it to fall freely. She had to bend over and shag her hair out to get the look she desired. If anyone had walked in on her right now, they might assume that she had spent the night there. That image was fine with her. She walked out into the main area as if she owned the place.

Spock was in the middle of chopping up a carrot when she came out. His knife stopped mid stroke as he took in her appearance. "See, I was right. There was no need for the pants, don't you agree?"

He took in her appearance as she posed herself for him, and she made sure he saw plenty of thigh. He whispered something to himself, but she couldn't make it out.

"What did you say?"

He didn't answer; he merely turned his head and resumed cutting the carrots. Spock was mortified. He spoke aloud his desire for her, and at that moment he was glad that his voice was low that she couldn't hear. Taluhk nash-veh k'dular (I cherish thee) was to be spoken by bond mates to bond mates only, and it was the closest thing to 'I love you' in the Vulcan language. She probably knew what it meant, and at that moment he was grateful for her weaker human ears. But one thing that could not be denied, it was absolutely the truth.

Nyota was pleased that he genuinely seemed to like the meal when they sat down. Vulcan spiced tea, Vegetable soup, brown rice, beans, grilled eggplant; and for dessert, fresh strawberries with whipped cream. The dessert was the only part that disappointed her a little bit. She didn't think things through enough, otherwise she would have realized that all the sensuality of berries and cream would disappear when they were eaten with a knife and fork.

Spock sliced each berry into five parts with a surgeon's precision and carefully added a drop of cream to each before he carefully ate them. And while he enjoyed them just as much Nyota, she had planned to feed some of them to him. But if he wouldn't eat from his owns hands, how could he possibly eat from hers.

She put a dollop of cream on her plate and began to dig into the rich sweet berries with her hands. In spite of the fact that she couldn't enjoy them with Spock as she had planned, it was still a real treat for her. She picked up a juicy berry and dipped the tip in the cream. She relished the taste as she bit off the end. She dipped it again and again repeating the experience. In the middle of her second berry she realized that Spock had stopped eating. She thought he was full, but she looked at his face he was staring at her with barely bridled desire in his eyes. She smiled at herself as she continued to eat, this time very aware of her audience. This may not have happened the way she planned it, but the effect was exactly the same. After five berries she was full. Spock had watched the most sensuous thing he had ever seen.

The berries had stained her lips and fingertips. Watching her had been a mystery to him. Food was not a source of sexual motivation on Vulcan, it was for nourishment. And yet as he watched her eat with her hands he felt the stirring in his body that he had spent so long in meditation to quell. She broke so many taboos, she was so inappropriate, and he wanted nothing more than to eat the berries like her. He began to wonder what the berries would taste like from her stained fingers.

After they finished their meal they cleaned up the table and dishes together. They fell into an easy rhythm that seemed totally natural, as if they had done this together for years. Neither wanted to be parted, but the dinner was over.

Nyota walked over to the couch and sat down. "Let's talk for awhile Spock. Tell me more about your mother."

The corners of Spock's mouth curved just slightly and his eyes glowed as he took up position near her on the couch. They started with Spock's mother and that spurned a sharing about their families, pieces of their childhoods and some of their childhood dreams. Throughout the conversation they slowly moved closer and closer together. Their bodies twisted on the couch to face each other.

Nyota felt comfortable and with each moment she felt bolder, but after thinking over and over again how to tell him how she felt about him… she was at a loss for words. This was her time; she had to express her feelings to Spock. Then she had another idea, risky but she had to try. She smiled at him and then extended her two fingers towards him just like she had seen T'Lori offer to Sulak. Spock's eyebrows moved up in surprise, but she could see an eagerness in his eyes. He slowly extended his two fingers towards hers and lightly touched them together.

Nyota had an intake of breath as she felt an electricity come through her fingertips. The sensation left before she could absorb the understanding of what she was feeling. She looked into Spock's eyes and she could see that he felt it too. If this felt good, she wanted to experiment with the rest of his hand. She slowly extended her fingers again and this time moved her fingers up and down the length of his, never breaking contact. Spock stiffened when she started, but he did not pull away.

Spock swallowed hard and then pulled his fingers away. He placed them neatly in his lap and closed his eyes as he took several deep breaths. Nyota just stared at him, wondering what was going through his mind. Was this too much contact for him? Or perhaps he didn't feel as she did.

When he opened his eyes he appeared to be at ease. "Nyota, do you know what the touching of the fingers together means in Vulcan culture?"

"Not exactly. But I have to admit that I saw T'Lori and Sulak do it and thought it was a sign of affection."

He nodded. As you know Vulcans are touch telepaths so our hands are very sensitive. We generally don't touch others, even those in our own family unit because there is a transference of thoughts and emotions, a mental link.

"I see, so that's why all you guard your hands."

"Protect is a better word, and it is because they are very sensitive. To touch the fingers together as we did in the beginning is considered to be moderately intimate, like the equivalent of a human kiss."

She nodded in understanding. She was glad to kiss him, and she only hoped that he was glad to kiss her back.

Spock continued "To move the fingers around such as you did was a request or offer for sexual intercourse." Her smile turned to surprise and her mocha skin reddened over her cheeks and brow as she blushed furiously.

"I take it that was not your intention."

"I'm sorry Spock; I should have asked you what these touches meant before trying. I hope I didn't offend you."

"I was not offended at all. From our initial touch I knew you wished to show affection, and I am in favor of that idea."

He lifted his two fingers to her again and she responded in kind. This time with the full understanding that she was kissing him in the Vulcan way. After a few moments Spock pulled back his hand. She saw love and serenity in his eyes.

"There is one more that I would like to experience with you Nyota." She nodded her head. Spock slowly raised his hand to her, palm out and extended it to her. She reached out her hand positioning it as a mirror of his, but she looked at him to ensure this was the right response. He nodded and she proceeded to touch his hand. Now their hands were touching, palm to palm. This time she felt more than a little tingle, her whole hand tingled. But she could… feel him. His feelings for her, the strongest sense of love and desire she'd ever experienced mixed with a bit of fear.

She didn't know what he could feel from her; could he read her mind this way? Eventually Spock pulled his hand away.

"What was that? Was that a mind meld too?"

"Not quite. I couldn't see into your mind, but it allowed our surface feelings to transfer between us freely. It is the most intimate telepathic touch we have outside of the mind meld."

"I'm honored that you would share that with me Spock." She looked at him, there was something that seemed like the logical next step, and yet Spock just sat there.

"Spock, since we engaged in the Vulcan version of kissing, perhaps we could engage in the human form?"

She could see the shift in his eyes. Something that she couldn't recognize and it didn't seem positive. "I'm sorry Spock; we don't have to kiss if you don't want to. It was just a thought."

He looked at her with a face nearly unreadable. "It is not that I don't want to engage in this behavior with you, on the contrary I find the idea favorable. It is just that… I have never done such a thing before. I am uncertain how to proceed, and I do not want you to be disappointed with me."

Nyota's heart swelled as she heard his confession. His vulnerability and innocence excited her in ways she could never have predicted. Her mind swam with dozens of things she wanted to tell him, but in the end she couldn't trust her words.

She slowly raised her hands to his face. His eyes were intense as he stared at her. She exhaled a breath as she made contact with this skin; his face was even hotter than his hands. She leaned in slowly giving him the chance to get used to her being so close. When she was just an inch away from his face she stopped her movement.

She whispered "Close your eyes". She leaned in and gently pressed her lips against his. She found his lips soft and warm – very inviting. She only intended a small kiss almost a peck, something appropriate for a first kiss. But the feel of his lips, the Vulcan spice on his breath, she couldn't resist him. She pulled back for a second, and then leaned back in. She felt his lips respond to her. He even leaned forward slightly pressing into the kiss.

After several long moments she pulled back, her lips parted slightly as she gasped for air. She lowered her hands and looked at him. His face was completely impassive, but his lips moved subtly, whether he was savoring or analyzing the kiss she couldn't tell. But his eyes which were completely unfocused looked at her; she saw the love in his eyes.

"Did I meet with your satisfaction?"

She smiled at him, and caressed his face "Very much so. It's not experience, it's about heart and the feelings you have for someone and what someone makes you feel. Spock, I love you."

He looked at her and said nothing, but he extended his hand to her. She reached out and they sat with their palms touching. She closed her eyes as they made the connection, this time he more open and almost projecting his feeling towards her. She felt the love in his heart. The intensity of it made her gasp as the tears began to fall from her eyes unbidden.

He felt the intensity of her response, but could not interpret the feelings. When he saw her begin to cry he pulled back suddenly "I did not mean to upset you, Nyota."

She smiled through the tears "I'm not upset Spock. I've just never been so moved. I don't think anyone has ever felt that strongly for me. These are tears of joy."

Spock remembered hearing this from his mother on the two occasions he saw her cry.

She leaned back in for another kiss, this time she wasn't so hesitant. While she didn't fully grasp his feelings, she knew that he loved her back and that was all that mattered. They would work anything else out in due time. She kissed more deeply his time, she parted her lips and tentatively slipped out her tongue. Spock's lips parted in response and she deepened the kiss. She pulled back and looked at him. "Touch me Spock." He raised his hand to hers, but she grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand behind her back. "Hold me."

He moved both of his hands to her back as she leaned in again to continue kissing him while she caressed his face, his neck, and she felt him jump when she touched his ears. She might have thought it uncomfortable, but the way he held her tighter, told her otherwise. He kept one hand around her waist and moved the other to rest on her bare thigh. She felt her body heating up and she felt her wetness pooling as her body prepared itself to receive him. She broke the kiss, gave him one last kiss on the cheek and pulled away from him, sliding down the other side of the couch.

She saw the question in his eyes. "We need to stop now, before this goes too far. I love you Spock, but I want to take this slow. At this rate we're going to end up making love and I don't think we should do that yet. We need to get used to each other in this new level of relationship."

"I am not familiar with human mating rituals, so I yield to your expertise."

She leaned back against the cushion and they sat looking at each other for a few minutes, until Nyota yawned.

"You require rest. Please change back into your uniform and I will escort you back to your dormitory."

"You're right, but to be honest, I don't want to leave."

"It is my preference to remain in your presence as well. You may sleep here if you wish. It would be the same as when you stayed here during your convalescence."

She stood thinking about it for a moment. "Theoretically you're right. But when I was here before either Abbey was here or I was physically weak. Even though I had feelings for you, there was no risk of anything happening. If I got in your bed now with you in it there is nothing that could keep me off of you." He sat staring at her intently. She turned and called over her shoulder "I'll be right back."

After removing the shirt, part of her brain told her to slip under the covers of his bed and call him in. But reason was victorious, at least at that moment. She quickly donned her uniform and walked into the main area.

The walk back to her dorm was too short and uneventful. She wanted to hold his hand, take his arm or something, but there was a lot of activity on campus. They walked together, a casual and non-attention getting distance apart. She couldn't even brush his hand as he walked with them firmly clasped behind his back. When they got to her room she made him wait a moment while she quickly scanned her quarters. "My room mate isn't here, come in."

"You require rest."

"I require something else, just for a moment. Please come in."

He walked into the room and stood in the small foyer space. Once the door closed behind him she moved up to him and put her hands up to his face again. She knew it would be awhile before he grew comfortable enough to initiate affection between them, but she didn't mind. Knowing that she would not be rejected was enough.

This would be their first kiss while standing. She was happy that their heights were close enough that she could kiss him comfortably, no standing on her toes or anything like that. She started to kiss him and she was happy that his hands came up to embrace her without her prompting and he encircled her waist.

"I need to leave; you must have your rest."

"I can't wait until I see you in the office tomorrow."

"I look forward to that time as well."

"I wish I could see you sooner."

"Perhaps we could meet for breakfast? This should not raise any suspicious since we have been seen together every day of the project."

She smiled "I would love that Spock." She placed one last kiss on his cheek and he turned and walked out the door. She turned from the door and spun around in two big circles, barely able to contain her joy. She wanted to scream to the top of her lungs how much she loved him.

Less than a minute after Spock left Gaila entered her quarters. Gaila looked at her suspiciously "So you want to explain why Commander Spock was leaving our quarters at 10pm and why your lipstick was all over his mouth."

She looked with at her room mate with wide eyed surprise and before she could process what was said she wiped her lips "Hey, I'm not wearing lipstick today."

Gaila smiled like the cat that got the canary "Gotcha."

All Nyota could do was smile. "Listen, I know how much you love to gossip, but please Gaila, you must keep this secret."

"Are you kidding? I'm so happy to see you finally interested in someone I wouldn't do anything to ruin it. But Senior Hottie of all people! You have to tell me everything… and I mean everything."

Nyota just exhaled because she knew she was in for another long night. Maybe she should have stayed at Spock's place after all.

Spock returned to his quarters. Things with Nyota did not go according to his plan. He had not expected for their interaction to become so intense. And he did nothing to prevent it. The issue of Starfleet had not been resolved; he should have put things to a halt. But as he reflected on their time together, he regretted nothing. He pursed his lips as he thought of the feel of her lips against his. He liked human kissing. He went to change his clothes and there lying on his bed was his shirt, the one Nyota wore all night. He missed her.

He went to his closet and retrieved a pillow that had her scent on it. He held it to his face and inhaled deeply. She had shared the bed with his Aunt only two days ago so the scent was still fairly strong. He changed into his sleep wear. He laid his head on Nyota's pillow and laid the worn shirt next to him. He fell asleep thinking about her.

**A/N: The next chapter will be up soon. Your thoughts and comments are welcome. I also welcome constructive criticism; it will only help me become a better writer. Thanks.**

15


	10. Chapter 10

The Visitors

Day 10 – Next Wednesday – The final Chapter

**A/N: This is the final chapter. This has been a wonderful experience for me. Thank you all for your support and for reading and reviewing. Please make sure to read my comments at the end of the chapter.**

**Vulcans and the Death penalty – Some of you have commented that the Vulcans were pacifists so they would not have had a death penalty. According to the website where I took most of my Vulcan references it states that they did have a death penalty and it was even mentioned during an episode of "Enterprise". There were very few offenses that warrant a death penalty; only treason was mention. I figured what happened to Nyota would probably fit into the category. But they didn't say they would kill him, only that they were talking about it.**

**Lastly (but not least) I would to give a big thanks to my new beta reader. Your edits and comments have really helped take this story to the next level. Once again… You Rock!**

Nyota woke with a jerk. She needed a moment to gather her thoughts. Did she really make out with Spock on his couch while wearing his shirt? Did she really tell him she loved him? Sounded like a dream.

"Computer, what day of the week is it?"

"Today is Wednesday."

She sighed happily to herself as she hugged her pillow "It really did happen." She thought about the sweetness of the kisses she shared with him.

And then reality came crashing down around her shortly after. She was due to meet him at 0800 hours at the cafeteria. Because she was up late with Gaila she didn't have the chance to lay out her clothing and arrange what items she would need for today. She looked at the clock, the time was currently 0715. The computer didn't have an order to wake her on Wednesdays because her first class wasn't until 1000 hours.

She jumped out of bed and began running around the room like a maniac. She knew her assignments were up to date, but she wasn't sure which PADDs she would need. She bit the bullet and just picked up all of them to be sure. Her bag would be heavy, but he was worth it.

She looked over her shoulder to make sure she had everything, and she couldn't help but smile at Gaila. None of her rattling around the room disturbed her rest in the slightest.

She looked at her watch and she had exactly three minutes to meet Spock. Unfortunately it was a five minute walk. She took off running, determined to run halfway across the quad then walk briskly when she rounded the corner and would be in sight of the cafeteria. She didn't want him to see her running like some scatterbrained, immature cadet; she wanted to maintain she was mature enough to be in a relationship with him.

As planned Nyota slowed to a brisk walk and as she turned the corner she saw the entrance to the cafeteria. It was 0759 and Spock was standing there as if he had been there for hours. He had been looking in her general direction, but then she saw his figure freeze as he focused on her. As she got closer their eyes locked and all of the tension she had built up rushing around immediately dissipated. She felt relaxed, she felt at home. Spock had affection for her, and she was happy. No one was around so Spock addressed her as they would in private.

"Good Morning Nyota."

"Good Morning Spock."

He held the door for her as they entered the area. They grabbed trays of food just like any of the other mornings they dined together. Spock led them to a different section of the cafeteria today, one that was less populated. Normally they sat closer to the door; Nyota assumed it was for efficiency's sake. She still felt a little scared about what was happening between them, but the look in his eyes… this had to be love.

They started eating their breakfasts silently. Nyota had so much to say to him, but she didn't know where to start. She watched his elegance as he ate. To the casual observer he would seem indifferent to her presence, but she saw the slight twinkle in his eyes when he glanced her way.

"I couldn't stop thinking about last night Spock, and about you."

"I was gratified by our interactions as well."

She smiled "I'm glad. When can we see each other again?" He merely looked at her. He was about to respond when she held up her hand. "I know we're seeing each other now, I mean when can we be alone together again, you know, like last night?"

Spock felt conflicted. He had not met with Captain Pike yet. He should not make new plans to see her; he should put a stop to this now. But he looked into her face with her bright shining eyes. 'K'diwa'. He could not wait until the day he would call her that aloud. It no longer mattered to him if Pike said it was forbidden. The worse case scenario would be if he asked her to wait until she graduated next year to progress their relationship.

"We should examine our schedules." Nyota started rummaging around her bag looking for the correct PADD. "Well, what are you doing tonight?"

"I was going to work on special project assigned to me by Admiral Tapping three weeks ago. It is an ongoing view of the impact of our changes in curriculum and the effect it has had, if any, on the Starfleet graduate's performance."

"So since it's ongoing you can work on it anytime."

"That is correct. The data capture is happening as we speak, and I review and draw conclusions from the data as the time presents itself."

Nyota finally pulled out her PADD. "Maybe we could meet tonight? No wait. I've got chorale practice. Study group tomorrow night. Perhaps Friday night?"

"That would not be…" his PADD started beeping. He looked at the message "Captain Pike has returned from his trip, and is summoning me to his office. We will finish our discussion later." He got up and left.

She looked at the cafeteria wall, the time was 0930 hours. She decided to walk back to her dorm to relieve some of her load since she had half an hour until her next class. As she made the trip she began to reflect on her breakfast with Spock. She was still on cloud nine, although in the back of her mind she sensed a bit of hesitancy from him which she chose to ignore. She couldn't wait until Friday, even though he hadn't had a chance to confirm that he was free.

Spock walked into Captain Pike's office. He had been doing meditative exercises on the way there so that he wouldn't have an emotional response if the relationship was forbidden. Nyota had come to mean so much to him and he did not know how he would bear it if they had to put their relationship on hold until she graduated.

"What can I do for you Spock?"

"I have found someone that I would like to pursue a relationship with. I have checked Academy regulations and cannot find a specific opinion on the matter."

Pike's eyes became as large as saucers as he took in the information.

"YOU want to pursue a relationship? You mean like a romantic relationship?"

"I believe that is the human phrase for it. Yes. You seem… surprised."

"I guess I am. I know that Vulcans like all other humanoids require companions, but I guess I never thought about you being interested in someone. Who is it? Commander Whitman, we both know she's had her eye on you."

"No, I would not require your counsel if it were another faculty member."

"I see. An employee?"

"No, actually it is a cadet."

"Wow. When you walk on the wild side you really go for it. Who is it?"

Spock shifted slightly as he looked straight ahead. Pike didn't hesitate, he would get the goods later.

"Nevermind. You won't find anything on the record because officially there are no guidelines for that type of relationship. After several incidents where a professor's husband or wife joined the academy it was decided that these types of relationships are at the discretion of the individuals involved. However, as a friend I want to give you these insights.

"There won't be any formal charges, a court martial or anything of the sort if you get involved with a student; unless the student pressed charges that you coerced them in any way. That's enough to make most professors back off. But what is even less commonly known is that if there are any indications, no matter how slight, that there was favoritism given to the other party you will suddenly find that one or both of your careers will instantly be derailed. So you are officially on your own and free to do as you please, but tread carefully. Honestly, I would keep the relationship hidden, no public displays of affection, don't share it with anyone, etc."

"Thank you for the insights. I will use discretion."

"So if you share the person's name I can help you avoid any ambiguous interactions, off the record of course."

Spock looked at his mentor and conceded the fact that Pike had never given him a reason to question his judgment.

"It is Nyota Uhura."

Spock felt himself become concerned when he saw the surprised look return to Pike's eyes. "Does that concern you?"

"On the contrary Spock. I am very, very impressed. She is one hot little number. There isn't any man on campus that wouldn't like to be with her."

"Although I do find her aesthetically pleasing, that is not why I have chosen to enter into relationship with her. Her intellectual acumen is far superior to most…"

"Whoa. Hold it there big fella. I know she's smart, near top of her class, etc. I only brought it up because even if she wasn't gifted intellectually she would still be on every man's short list."

"Shortlist?"

"Never mind, I can go over that colloquialism at another time. But YOU being with her does cause a particular concern. It's for the best that she is no longer your student, but it can be an issue because she is your research assistant. Just make sure you guys don't do anything in that office, and I mean anything. Don't even close the door if you can avoid it. I would also mention it to Admiral Tapping."

"Your concern is noted. I will make sure we use discretion and I will ensure that I in no way show favoritism to her. I will go to Admiral Tapping's office once we conclude this meeting."

"Nyota Uhura, huh." Pike just sighed and started to mutter to himself "Damn, if I were a younger man…"

Spock merely watched the Captain. Since his last request for explanation was refused he was not going to ask Pike again what the latest human colloquialisms meant. He was able to comprehend that Pike found Nyota desirable, and he would leave it at that. Although it was illogical, he found satisfaction in that thought.

Spock turned and left.

He wanted to speak with Nyota, explain to her everything he had learned from Captain Pike. However he saw the lack of logic in his plan, although she was affectionate with him she had not formally agreed to enter into relationship with him.

Yes, they were involved in some aspects of the human mating ritual, and she expressed her feelings, but was this enough? She needed to formally, verbally agree to their relationship.

At 1350 hours Nyota came practically bouncing into their shared office. She put down her belongings and then closed the door. He stiffened as this was in violation of Pike's instructions, although she did not know it yet.

"May I ask why you have closed the door?"

"I just have a quick question and I didn't want others to hear. My chorale practice was cancelled tonight. If you're available, perhaps we could spend that time together?"

His eyes softened just a bit. "I look forward to it. My quarters?"

"Yes." She then opened the door and started to put away her bag to start on her work. He was pleased with her discretion in this matter. Initially he was concerned that she had closed the door to try and engage him in a bit of physical intimacy such as human kissing, but based upon their discussion her action was appropriate. The afternoon of working wasn't much different than the way they normally spent it, except that Nyota felt comfortable taking long looks in Spock's direction as he worked. And from time to time she was rewarded to look his way and discover that he was looking at her.

On any given day the entire building cleared out by 1700 hours, and this day was no exception. A couple of people poked their heads in to say good-night on their way out. Nyota began to pack her bag to make her way to her dorm room.

"I'm going to head to my dorm and change. When should I come over?"

"You are welcome in my quarters **anytime** you wish." That statement made her smile. "Tonight I will prepare a meal for you, which I will serve upon your arrival."

"I'll see you shortly."

They left the office together as they might any other time and parted their separate ways knowing that they were only separated by a small amount of time. Nyota was in a rush again. She didn't have to be at Spock's quarters by any particular time, but she wanted to be there as soon as she could. But the best way to do this was to organize. She took a moment to think about what she needed to do for tomorrow. She arranged her work the way she normally would, she put all of her uniforms in the refresher. She straightened up her side of the dorm room. The last thing she needed to do was decide on what to wear to Spock's.

After a few minutes she settled on her emerald green sweater with the low cut front. She normally would wear a tank top underneath, but for Spock she wore nothing but a bra. This meant she would show a good amount of cleavage, and she wanted him to see it. She picked out a black flair mini-skirt that was roughly the same length as her uniform skirt. She ditched her black Starfleet boots for a matching pair of emerald green heels. As she was about to walk out of the door Gaila's words came back into her mind. She promptly went into the bathroom and pulled her hair out of the severe pony-tail she wore. She smiled at herself in the mirror and added red lipstick. 'Perfect' she thought to herself.

She was about to walk out the door, and then as an afterthought she removed her Starfleet issue underwear and added them to the refresher. She went to her drawer and pulled out the little pink and black box with the ribbon on it and the tag with Gaila's name on it. She pulled out the little black thong panties, a Christmas gift from Gaila. She put them on and tentatively walked around the room. She felt a little naked, a little exposed and a little naughty. She had no plans for Spock to see them, but she would wear them for him anyway.

Taking the walk to his quarters proved to be a challenge. She hadn't considered the vagaries of a strong breeze and the effects on her short flair skirt which would give whoever was behind her an eyeful. She nonchalantly pressed the skirt against her body with her hands as she walked.

She walked up to the door and prepared to request entrance when the doors automatically opened. Only after she stepped inside did it dawn on her that it wasn't a malfunction, he had reset the codes to give her access. An open invitation, she was granted permanent entry into his space.

She looked around, but didn't see Spock. She walked in and looked in the kitchenette. It was neatly organized with vegetables which were mostly chopped, spices and some sort of grain was simmering in a pot. She turned when she heard Spock's footsteps. He was coming out of his bedroom.

"Nyota."

"Spock. I was just wondering where you were."

"I needed to relieve myself. But you were welcome to search my quarters."

"Thanks. I noticed that the door was set to let me in automatically."

"I told you, you are always welcome to come here. Setting the controls to let you in was only logical."

"But what about your privacy? Should I call before I come over to give you warning?"

"I don't intend to have any secrets from you. You may come over at your discretion."

She blushed despite herself. "Thank you Spock." She walked up to him and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips. "Can I help you with dinner?"

They worked together to put the meal together, falling into an easy rhythm as if they had been cooking together for years.

As they sat down to their meal, Spock looked over at Nyota and the timbre of his voice changed slightly, indicating to Nyota a more serious conversation.

"Nyota, there are several topics we should discuss before becoming more intimately acquainted. I am not very familiar with human mating rituals and I know I have much to learn. I would like to share Vulcan mating rituals with you at this time."

"Yes, I would love to hear about them." Nyota's heart almost started pounding. She tried doing research, but like with most things of Vulcan culture, there was very little in the database.

"Essentially I have observed the behavior of the cadets and even faculty at the academy. They seem to go through a process of engaging multiple potential candidates until they eventually select someone that they will bond with temporarily. In some cases it would appear that humans are together for the purpose of recreation rather than finding a bond mate."

"You're describing the dating process. From the way you describe it, it sounds as though Vulcans don't date."

"We do not. In many cases children who are at least age seven are bonded together by their families. In the event that parents did not or could not find a mate for their child the adult will look among their peers and select a mate. The individuals will come together and decide for themselves whether their union would be prosperous. If both parties agree they will become bond mates."

"In the context of me and you, what does all this mean?"

"It means that I want you to be clear of my intentions. I do not view this as a casual human courtship. I wish for you to become my bond mate in due course."

Nyota was speechless. Yes, this is what she wanted but this was too soon in the relationship. They had been officially dating for less than 24 hours.

There was silence for a long moment as she took in his words. He sat and merely studied her face. "Spock, I meant what I said last night. I do love you. And I know that we have known each other for a couple of years. But how can you be so certain? How do you know that I am the right person for you? I mean, why wouldn't you want to look around before making such a big decision? "

"I will say that I know what I want and need of a bond mate. You are everything I have ever desired and more. And there has never been another that stirred these thoughts in me."

"Thank you Spock. You are everything I could ever want. But if you don't mind, I will need some additional time before I can say yes that I will be your bond mate, your wife."

"I understand, and am prepared to give you all the time you require. It seemed logical inform you."

"Thank you. I guess it's a good thing that your parents didn't give you one of those childhood arranged marriages."

"They did. I was bonded to a woman named T'Pring when we were both seven years old."

"Oh. I'm sorry, what happened to her?"

"Nothing happened to her, she is alive and well on the homeworld."

She pursed her lips as she looked at him "Now I'm confused. You want to be my bond mate, but you were already bonded when you were seven. Do Vulcans take multiple wives?" She stopped breathing as she waited for the answer. She loved Spock, but she did not want to share him.

"No, Vulcans generally mate to one person for life. I dissolved my union with T'Pring when I made my decision to bond with you."

"Shouldn't you have waited? You had no idea what I would say."

"Yes, there was a risk. But after being around you there was no way I could ever be satisfied with T'Pring. If you refused me, I would have simply studied harder at human courtship rituals and do anything necessary to gain your affections."

She looked at him seriously "You've already won them. I can't say yes to you now Spock, just like with the sex, I need time. But I'm glad you told me your intentions. So from now we can enjoy each other's company, get to know each other more and when the time is right I'll accept your… proposal."

"This is agreeable to me."

"And just to make sure I'm clear, there is no doubt that I will accept your offer."

Spock nodded in agreement. She could see a shift in his eyes, she could see that he was pleased. After the meal they cleaned the kitchen together again. Nyota thought to herself 'I could get used to this'.

"One more question. Once I do say yes, how long is the engagement period? Meaning the time between when I accept the offer and we actually get married… bonded."

"There is no official waiting period. Once two people agree to be bonded it is only a matter of how long it will take to make the preparations. It could take as little as a few days and as long as three Earth months."

She merely nodded her head. "That long?" she said with slight sarcasm. Now she knew that she couldn't say anything to him until she was ready to walk down the aisle or whatever Vulcans did. Apparently, whatever a Vulcan did they did it with conviction.

Once the kitchen was clean they moved back to the couch as they had the night before. This time Nyota was more careful of how she sat. Although Spock's shirt was shorter than the mini-skirt she was wearing, her rear was well covered in her Starfleet issue briefs. This time a subtle shift and he would see more than she intended.

She thought they might start kissing again, she was about to lift her two fingers towards him, but Spock looked at her with serious eyes. "Now that our relationship has been established, we need to discuss how to conduct said relationship. Based upon our working relationship and history as student-teacher, Starfleet Academy would not look upon it kindly."

"Does this mean that we can't pursue a relationship until I graduate?"

"Absolutely not" he responded quickly. "It means we must be conscientious of our actions and diligent in being discrete. I have spoken to Captain Pike and Admiral Tapping. Based upon their input, I have given this considerable thought and believe that on campus we should never be seen in any type of public displays of affection. Do you concur?"

"Yeah, I do. So we can never see each other except when we're working or when we go off campus?"

"No, I think private areas such as my quarters, and your dorm room, provided your room mate is absent, will suffice as well."

"So we will have to be a secret, like our love doesn't exist" she said dejectedly.

"It is not a secret. As I mentioned I informed Captain Pike and Admiral Tapping of my intentions towards you. Their response was that it would be acceptable as long as it was not commonly known and not publicly displayed. The issue is that because we are in the same department, there should not be any appearance of my showing favoritism in any way towards you."

"If that's what it takes to be with you, then I agree."

Spock nodded.

"I know we'll see each other in the office this week, but do you have any time over the weekend?"

"You are generally involved with your studies on the weekends."

"Yes, I know. But now I'll make time to be with you as well."

"Your studies must come first, Nyota. Once you have completed the tasks that you would have normally done, then we can see each other."

She thought about how she would normally study all day long, sometimes only stopping because it was bedtime. If she followed her normal routine, she would rarely see him. "How about a compromise? I can actually do my studies in your quarters. This way I can take care of my work and be with you at the same time."

"This is a favorable compromise."

She smiled as she finally extended her fingers for a Vulcan kiss. Without hesitation Spock returned the gesture. The motion was now easy and natural as she moved to kiss him the human way. The kiss deepened within seconds.

When the kiss ended she pulled back slightly to look into his face. His lips shifted slightly moving back into a neutral mode. If you looked at his face, he could have been just eating or having a conversation. But his eyes revealed how much he liked the kiss.

She felt his hand move from around her waist and slowly travel up her back. It stopped briefly at her shoulder then moved around to touch her hair, her face and ultimately settle around her neck. He gently caressed the back of her neck as he held his hand there. It was a chaste caress, something that would have been appropriate in front of family, but it sent sensations straight through her body. She looked at him and began to wonder, if just a neck touch was that arousing, what would it be like if he touched other parts of her body.

Spock touched the exposed skin on her face and neck. He wished her shoulders were exposed, he would like to feel the skin there. As his hand sat against her neck he could get a sense of her emotional state. She was becoming aroused, and feeling it coming from her heightened his arousal as well. It was pushing very hard against the limits of his mental training. The primal urges were returning. Nyota had already made it clear that sexual intercourse would not take place until further in their relationship. He moved his hand back to her sweater covered waist. He began to clear his mind and engage in a passive mental exercise.

Nyota missed the contact with Spock's skin. She was going to lean in for another kiss, but she saw something shift in his eyes. She wasn't sure what was going on inside of his head, but she accurately surmised that they had either reached or come very close to his tolerance level. She thought it best if she moved away, and give him space. As she tried to pull away his grip on her waist tightened holding her in place. She sat watching him. After several long minutes his eyes focused on her again.

"I apologize Nyota. I was becoming overwhelmed and needed to re-center myself. Touching my hands to the skin of your neck I could feel your desire and mixing with my own it was having an exponential effect."

She smiled at him. Only he could make something sound scientific and sensual at the same time. "So are you centered now?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"So should we stop for the evening?"

"Only if you wish to do so. My lips while sensitive do not contain telepathic receptors." He lowered his hands from her waist freeing her.

"So different parts of the body are more sensitive to telepathic reception than others?"

"You are correct."

Her voice came down several octaves "So, there are no issues if I do this?" She kissed him on the lips.

"None whatsoever."

She put her hands on his shoulders and ran her hands down his arms, careful to stop before she reached his hands. She grasped his cloth covered wrists and guided them back around her waist.

"I think we should test your hypothesis."

"Indeed" he replied as their lips met once more.

Quite some time later Spock walked Nyota back to her dorm room. They wouldn't have an opportunity to be together in his quarters again until this weekend, but at least she would get to see his face everyday in the office. She felt like the luckiest person in the universe.

She was about to go to bed, but she suddenly remembered her promise. She put on her robe and sat in front of her terminal.

Abbey's pillow creased face appeared on the screen.

"Oh my goodness. Abbey, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you would be in bed."

"I shouldn't be, but my body is still working according to San Francisco time. So I'm very glad you called. I can tell by the gleam in your eyes that things went well. So spill."

"Well, we've had two dates since I spoke with you."

"Two dates? So you two are an official item?"

"We are… I'm not even sure how to say it. I'm still trying to get my mind wrapped around it."

Abbey gasped as she donned a big smile "You slept with him already?"

"No!" said Nyota as she started to blush.

"Then what's such a big deal?"

"We are… pre-engaged I guess."

"What? You work quickly. Explain please."

"Evidently, Vulcans don't date. He made it clear that his intention is for me to become his wife, or bond mate as Vulcans call it. So the ball is in my court. When I'm sure, all I have to do is say yes and we'll schedule the bonding ceremony."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that! If I had agreed tonight I think he would have wanted to call our parents on the spot. I do love him, and I already made the decision to say yes, but I can't marry him now. The time isn't right, I'm not ready yet."

"Now that I think of it, my sister announced her engagement fairly quickly. If that's the Vulcan tradition that means she was engaged when she introduced us to him and didn't say anything to the family." Abbey frowned slightly. "Well, that's another story. He's Vulcan, so you know that he's thought this through thoroughly and that he finds you to be the logical choice. So the question you have to ask yourself is, have you found yourself yet? Are you ready to blend who you are, your identity with his? Don't give him an answer until you can answer yes to that question."

"Abbey, were you married before?"

"Twice. One ended in divorce and the other in death. I was quite young when I got married the first time, and I can tell you from experience it can be disheartening the first time someone refers to you as 'Spock's wife' instead of Nyota if you are not ready. It is a two way street, because he will also be addressed as 'Nyota's Husband', but being a Vulcan I doubt it will cause him the issues it may cause for you."

"I never thought of that."

"It's alright. You're a bright girl, which is why you realized you weren't ready for that type of leap when he asked you. But I'm sure the entire night wasn't that serious. Tell me everything else."

Nyota went onto recount the dinners and some of the luscious details that she had not planned to tell. She just felt so comfortable with Abbey, she couldn't help herself.

When she finished her tale, Abbey gave her the most loving smile. "I hope you don't think me premature, but let me say welcome to the family."

Nyota chuckled. "Thank you." Then her head popped up as a thought popped in her head "I need to tell my mom. I hope she takes it well."

"Oh no, would she be against you marrying another species?"

"No, it's not that. She's still holding out hope that I'll go back to my first boyfriend Nigel. She mentions him to me every so often. But once she meets Spock, she'll see how wonderful he is."

"Just remember Ny, that I'm always just a quick call away or message away if you need me."

"Thanks Abbey, I really appreciate that."

After they signed off Nyota finally lay down in bed. For the first time in weeks she felt at peace. Because although the future wasn't written, somehow she knew that she and Spock would be fine. She wasn't ready to say 'yes' yet because she wanted to graduate before she became his wife. After speaking with Abbey she was even more confident in her relationship with Spock than before. She could not imagine anyone else in the universe that she would want or need more than Spock. And when the time was right, she knew she would be honored to bear the title of 'Spock's wife'. Her last thoughts before drifting off to sleep that night were of him, and some how she knew that as he lay in bed he was thinking about her.

Fin

**A/N: Thank you for reading to the end of this section. This is as far as I could take the story and maintain my "T" rating. In my mind the story isn't complete until these two have hot and sweaty interspecies… relations. The last chapter of this story is rated "M" and are under the title "Visitations". Because you all have been so awesome I am posting this chapter in their entirety within the hour. By the time you have finished reading this it should be uploaded onto the site.**

**Your comments and review and welcome.**

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